


Vendettas and Stratagems

by SirLoozElite



Series: Rebels: An Alternate Tale [3]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2018-12-31 00:45:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 31,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12120873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirLoozElite/pseuds/SirLoozElite
Summary: Hearing a voice in her head, Ahsoka Tano travels to a distant planet in the outer rim to uncover a hidden truth. Meanwhile, a Grand Admiral plots his next move.





	1. Voices

**Author's Note:**

> So, part 3 of my 4 part AU story arc.  
> If you are just joining us, welcome and I hope you enjoy this. Please feel free to check out the previous stories to help flesh out what has happened so far.  
> If you are rejoining me from my previous stories, welcome back.  
> So... background before we begin: The events of season three happen as normal, with the exception of the Maul episodes not happening, as well as the Kallus episodes. This means that Sabine is not in possession of the darksaber, but she had still gone home to her family. Kallus is already part of the rebellion as well.  
> This story picks up at the events of Twin Suns. So fifty guesses what is about to happen.

He was lost. Days, weeks, months of searching for him on this miserable planet. 

And he was lost. There was no way of tracking him. No way of sensing him. The force was an empty clouded void on this planet. 

But he was here. His target, the one he sought after for so long, the one who had ruined everything. 

He didn’t care if it took him years to find his goal. He would find it eventually, and he would right the wrongs of the past.

But he was still lost, and he had no way of finding his way back, or to his goal. 

No way, unless he had help. 

Help. That was what he needed. No one would willingly help him however. Most ran in fear from him. Others had a tendency to die around him. 

And the rest distrusted him, rightfully so he thought. 

But there was one in recent history who had trusted him. One who had willingly worked with him to achieve a mutual goal. He had helped her, so now she would help him.

Yes. Yes! That was what he had to do. 

She would come to him, and she would lure out his goal. 

But how the summon her here, to this planet. 

He thought, his mind wandering, reaching through the force, revisiting his memories of his time with her. 

It came to him. 

The Holocron! She had it! 

He could call to her through it. He had left his own imprint on it when he held it briefly. All holocrons absorbed the briefest of essences of those who had used it, even those that had held it, even for a split second. 

He reached into the force, finding the dark, yet subtle presence of the holocron. It lay dormant, but he could activate it. 

And by activating it, he could deliver a message to her through the force. All those that held the holocron would hear it, as the artefact would act as a conduit for the message. 

That meant the boy and his master would hear the message too, but that was of trivial concern. 

He needed her here, to help him. To lure his target out. 

Reaching into the force, he spoke in a whisper, one loud enough to gather her attention. 

“Lady Tano!”

*************************************************************************************************

Ahsoka Tano’s head jerked up. 

She had been stifling over a series of reports from her Fulcrum agents. Apparently Cassian Andor had uncovered some sort of conspiracy about the empire building a doomsday weapon of some kind and was investigating it in his usual explosive manner.

Another report was from her latest recruit Alexsandr Kallus, the turncoat ISB agent. He was still serving with Phoenix squadron at the moment, offering what support he could on ground missions against the empire, whilst simultaneously gathering intel for other rebel cells. 

Still, the reports could now wait. Someone had disturbed the force. 

And they were calling to her with a very familiar title. 

It was one of the rare times she was on Atollon. Since returning from Lothal with Thrawn’s prototype Defender, Ahsoka had actively been taking missions that caused her to travel to the far reaches of space. She traversed the outer rim, landing on planets such as Florrum and Ryloth, coordinating with other rebel cells that had taken form there. 

She had also made good on her promise to visit Princess Leia Organa on Alderann. The two had spent hours discussing Ahsoka’s latest mission to Lothal, giving her time to recover from the blaster wound she took, courtesy of Thrawn. 

And when she had recovered, rather than travel back to Atollon to help her friends, she had left them again. 

Truth be told, she was avoiding Atollon. To be precise, she was avoiding Rex.

It had only occurred to her later in the day what she had done. 

She had hit him. Her oldest friend. And she hit him, simply because of something he said. 

He was only trying to help her, Ahsoka could see that now. But she was ashamed of what she did. She was scared what he would say to her, what he thought of her now. 

So she avoided Rex. 

And she regretted it. 

Still, she had other matters to attend to right now. 

The voice that had called out to her was unmistakably Maul’s, the former Sith Lord who had assisted her on Malachor against Vader. When they had parted, he had promised not to interfere or harm her friends. 

So for him to be calling out to her through the force now meant something big. 

And she had to know what he was doing. The force was singing a warning to her. Whatever the Zabrak was up to, it wasn’t good. 

Ahsoka rose from her desk in the small room she had on Atollon. It was night time, and apart from the night shift staff, everyone was asleep. 

Luckily for her, she could sense one person was not, and that he too was experiencing some disturbance in the force. 

Leaving the small building she was in, she headed towards the Ghost. 

The rebel base on Atollon was shaping up nicely. They had finally began to acquire the weapons and technology necessary to prove to be a credible threat to the empire. 

From what the crew of the Ghost had told her, they seemed to run into Thrawn a lot. Hera had encountered her on Ryloth, Commander Sato above Mykapo, and even Zeb had had a run in with an infiltration droid sent by Thrawn. 

Each time they seemed to get away, but Ahsoka knew Thrawn’s type. He was preparing for something big. Only time would tell what. 

Ahsoka navigated her way through the rebel base, entering a maze like collection of munitions and other hardware, all stored in large crates. AP5 had been quite insistent that he be in charge of organization around the base, and the others, Chopper especially, had been more than happy to let him do so. 

As Ahsoka turned another corner in the maze, she bumped into someone. 

“Oh Ahsoka, sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

Ahsoka grinned. After Lothal, both Kaeden and Miara Larte had requested a formal transition to be placed at Chopper Base as official personal. This marked them was members of Phoenix Squadron. While Miara had accompanied the Ghost crew on a few missions, even getting to fly an A-wing, Kaeden had remained round the base, organising logistics with AP5 and Commander Sato.

And it appeared she was up later than everyone else. 

“Kaeden? What are you doing up this late? Everyone else is asleep.” Ahsoka asked. She didn’t need her friends overworking themselves. Mind you, she was guilty of that herself.   
“I could ask the same of you Ahsoka.” Kaeden replied, regaining her composure from the collision. 

Ahsoka smirked. Kaeden, ever the smartass. 

“Paperwork.” The Togruta replied with a humour laced edge. It seemed no matter the profession, paperwork was the number one running reason for late nights. 

“I hear ya, worst thing ever.” Kaeden replied with a small smile of her own, understanding Ahsoka’s plight. 

“You sure you’re ok though Ahsoka, you look awfully pale, for an orange Togruta that is.” Kaeden’s face shifted to one of concern, her eyes shifting over Ahsoka’s form. 

Ahsoka hadn’t realized she looked any different from normal. To be fair though, she wasn’t surprised. 

“Force thing.” Ahsoka replied. Kaeden nodded in understanding, despite not understanding the situation at all. 

“I’ll let you go then.” Kaeden responded with a smile. “But come talk to me if you need to yeah?”

Ahsoka nodded in affirmation, before moving past the human woman and continuing towards the Ghost. 

She arrived at the ramp to the ship a minute later. 

As she proceeded up the ramp, she noted the lights were dimmed. Clearly everyone aboard the ship was resting. All except for one.

As she reached his door, she lifted her hand, and knocked twice. 

“Enter.” A voice came from the other side. 

So she did. 

The room was darkened, not that it mattered to the occupant at all. He sat on a backless chair, legs crossed in a meditative position. Ahsoka could feel the force swirling around him, touching her presence in the force and welcoming it to his own. 

She sat on the floor opposite him, and mimicked his position. 

The two sat in silence for a few seconds, reaching into the force. 

Then Kanan spoke. 

“I guess you heard his voice too then?”

“You heard it as well?” Ahsoka replied. Why was Maul contacting Kanan as well?

“Unfortunately,” The blind Jedi knight responded, “Though I don’t think I was supposed to.”

Ahsoka contemplated this newfound information. Whatever method Maul had used to contact her was clearly powerful, but not refined if Kanan had heard it too. 

She only hoped that Ezra did not hear it also. 

“Ezra’s asleep and hasn’t come in here asking questions, so I don’t think he heard it.” Kanan released her of any worry in an instant. Of that she was glad. Ahsoka didn’t want to give Ezra any unwanted trouble. 

“So what do you think?” Ahsoka asked. She considered Kanan a good friend, and she trusted his opinion. 

“I think that whatever Maul has found is important. But I also think it could be a trap.” Kanan answered, sounding wiser than most Jedi masters. 

It had become a thing of theirs since Malachor. Ahsoka and Kanan would confide in one another about all things force related. Kanan had expressed his concerns about teaching Ezra, and Ahsoka had openly admitted to opening the Sith holocron. Kanan hadn’t been impressed. 

“If Maul is interested in it, then it must be important. I have to find him.” Ahsoka replied. She couldn’t have Maul running around the galaxy with some crazy weapon after all.   
Not that she intended to kill him of course, just ensure he was not harming the innocent. 

“I agree. But we have no way of locating him.” Kanan opened his eyes for the first time since Ahsoka had entered the room. The injury he had suffered at Malachor had left them milky white, but he could still see, just differently than before. 

Ahsoka admired his resolve. Most people would have let what happened on Malachor break them, but not Kanan. 

The two force users sat in silence for a minute, contemplating. If Maul had called out to Ahsoka, it was clear he wanted her help. 

Or needed it. 

“Any ideas on how we find him then?” Ahsoka inquired. 

To her surprise, Kanan stood up. “No, but I might know someone who does.”


	2. Kanan's mysterious friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ahsoka and Kanan talk to a giant force sensitive space moose, or something like that anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have take a few liberties (again) with how holocrons work. Let me know what you think about my interpretation of them.

Under the cover of night, Ahsoka and Kanan boarded a speeder bike, and set off into the wilds of Atollon. 

The whole planet sang in the force, a strange yet comforting song to those who could hear it. Ahsoka would describe it as somewhere between light and dark. 

‘A perfect fit for me then.’ The Togruta thought. Her lack of affiliation with either Jedi or Sith, as well as the fact that she had been progressively walking the line in the middle more and more was still a point of contention in the force, she realized. One day, she would have to choose, light or dark? 

As Kanan drove the bike over another set of hills, Ahsoka could no longer contain her inquisitive nature. 

“Where are we going?”

“To see a friend of mine.” Kanan replied briefly, focusing on guiding the bike with the force. Ahsoka could sense that Kanan was looking for something through the force. 

“A friend of yours, way out here?” Ahsoka inquired. 

“He doesn’t like to be disturbed. But if anyone can helps us, it’s him.” Kanan finished, strafing the bike to avoid a coral like plant. 

The terrain began to lower, as the bike slowed down, entering a small sinkhole clearing. 

Kanan brought the bike to a stop, dismounting it alongside Ahsoka.

Ahsoka stepped up next to Kanan, who was still searching the force. 

But despite his search, Ahsoka could see nothing except for the darkness of the night.

“He’s here.” Kanan mumbled, before turning to the right slowly. Ahsoka mimicked his movements. 

Before her, was a large pillar of rocks, laced with what looked like a brown moss of some kind. Normally, she wouldn’t be surprised by a pillar of rocks, but this one was different. It sang of a presence of the force. 

Then the collection of rocks and moss began to move. A large shape began to emerge from them, tall and imposing, standing several feet above both Ahsoka and Kanan. Whatever is was stood taller than most of the buildings on Atollon. 

Then the rocks began to groan, whether in annoyance at being disturbed or strain of movement she didn’t know. One thing was certain however, what was before her was not a collection of rocks and moss, but a living creature, one that was powerful in the force. 

Beside her, Kanan was radiating a level of smugness at showing off his find to someone like Ahsoka.   
‘If only he knew.’ Ahsoka thought in her head. This would be fun. 

The creature had fully emerged by now, and was turning slowly to face the two new arrivals. Ahsoka could see now that it had a face, as well as tall horn like ornaments. His eyes held great wisdom and power, as if he had seen worlds end and began again.

Then it spoke.

“Hello again Kanan Jarrus, Jedi Knight. I see you have brought a friend with you this time huh?” 

Kanan stepped forward. “Bendu, this is…” 

Kanan didn’t get a chance to state her name, as the Bendu decided to interrupt. 

“Former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano, I know, we have met before.”

Ahsoka raised her hand slightly in greeting at the giant before her, to which the Bendu nodded back respectfully. 

Kanan meanwhile had a look of confusion on his face. “What? You’ve met before?”

Ahsoka nodded, “Before Malachor, I found him in the wild. We spoke about the mission, about what it might entail.”

The Bendu nodded, before bending his head down to get a closer look at Ahsoka. He was reading her, both with his eyes, and through the force. Ahsoka allowed him too. 

“Yes, much has changed with you since our last encounter. Tell me, did you succeed in what you had to do, Ahsoka Tano?” The Bendu’s voice boomed around the sinkhole he called home. 

“I killed Vader, and recovered a Sith holocron.” Ahsoka responded, reaching her hand down into a small bag that she carried on her waist at all times. From within it, she extracted the Sith holocron. She carried it with her always now, as a means of keeping it safe, and away from prying eyes. 

“I see. A promising find. Have you unlocked its secrets?” Bendu continued, pulling back from Ahsoka to stand at his full height. 

“I have, but lately I find myself more and more tempted by it.” Ahsoka responded truthfully. She didn’t have to hide anything here, Kanan already knew about her temptation, it was one of the things discussed during their private meditations. 

“That is too be expected. Holocrons are tools of great power, but also great danger. Yet I sense this is not the reason Kanan Jarrus brought you to me this night?” The Bendu spoke, voice still booming, radiating control and wisdom. 

Kanan took that chance to interrupt. “No Bendu, it’s not. We need advice on how to find someone.”

The Bendu’s face took on a form of interest, as if he was confused, yet excited at the same time. 

“I see. And who is it you seek. Surely not me, as you have already succeeded in finding me.” The Bendu responded, letting out a series of laughs after his comment. 

‘Never let it be said that giants don’t have senses of humour.’ Ahsoka thought as she smiled at the giant. 

“On Malachor, I encountered and worked with another Sith, Maul. He was also after the holocron, but in the end let me keep it. But just tonight, he called out to me through the force. How I do not know, but Kanan heard it too.” Ahsoka relayed the events of the night to the Bendu, who now had possessed a contemplative look on his face. 

“Did the darksider touch the holocron?” Bendu asked. Ahsoka nodded in confirmation. 

“Oh dear! Then it would seem he left his imprint on it, and is using that connection to call for you via the holocron. Any who touch such an artefact leave their imprint on it, willingly or not. That is how he was able to contact you, as well as why Kanan Jarrus heard the call too.” Bendu delivered his description, overwhelming Ahsoka and Kanan with knowledge about holocrons that they had never known. Clearly the Bendu was leaps and bounds ahead of them in understanding of the force. 

“So we can hear him because of the holocron?” Kanan asked, looking for confirmation. 

“Indeed.” The giant replied. 

Ahsoka delved deep into the force, searching for Maul’s presence. The holocron was clearly emanating some radiance of his force signature, but not enough to pinpoint his location. 

“How can we find him? I’m concerned at what he’s up too.” Ahsoka asked. 

The Bendu seemed to be lost in thought for a second, before he turned his attention to Kanan. 

“Tell me Kanan Jarrus, do you not possess a Jedi holocron?” 

“I do.” Kanan responded. 

The Bendu stood at his full height again, towering over the two force sensitives before him. 

“Then together you must combine the holocrons. Once joined, they will reveal any secret to you. Through these means, you can locate this darksider you seek, Ahsoka Tano, former Jedi Knight.”

It was a risky prospect, joining the holocrons together. Ahsoka had never heard of the practise herself, much less the fact that they would reveal what she sought. Still, the Bendu had seen things she could never hope to. So she trusted his word. 

“Thank you for your help Bendu. I’ll leave you to rest.” Ahsoka bowed in respect at the giant, before turning back to the speeder bike she and Kanan had arrived on. 

“Be mindful Ahsoka Tano. Dark forces are at work, and I sense you are not the only one looking for Maul. There is another who touched the holocron.” The Bendu boomed somewhat menacingly. 

Ahsoka took heed of his words. She didn’t know anything about another who touched the holocron, at least not off the top of her head. She would have to wait and see. 

“Thanks Bendu. Enjoy your sleep.” Kanan said his goodbyes to the giant, before mounting the bike with Ahsoka. 

“Oh I’m sure you will be back soon Kanan Jarrus, Jedi Knight. No doubt full of tales of your adventures for me.” The Bendu spoke, before beginning to settle down into the position he had been in before they had arrived. 

“Ha, you know it!” Kanan chuckled as he spoke, before activating the bike, and speeding off into the wilds of Atollon, back towards Chopper Base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So according to the Sith Lord known as 'Dave Filoni', Ahsoka had met the Bendu before. So I decided to include the fact that it happened in this story.   
> Plus Kanan's reaction was funny.   
> Also, I hope I got Bendu rigth as well. It's kinda hard to write for a giant force sensitive being such as him, before even considering he's voiced by Tom Baker!


	3. The Light and the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ahsoka and Kanan delve deep into the force.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for a force centric chapter. This one was fun to write.

By the time Kanan and Ahsoka had gotten back to Chopper Base, the sun had begun to rise. The orange hue of the star painted an almost serene picture of Atollon, not as a rebel base, but as a home. 

As Kanan directed the speeder bike back to the Ghost, the two force users noticed that significantly more people were awake. 

“Guess we were gone longer than we thought.” Ahsoka said, dismounting the bike. In the distance she spied Kaeden and her sister Miara talking, overseeing the dismantling and research on the prototype TIE Defender they had stolen from Thrawn. They had kept the fighter at Chopper Base to study it, and develop a countermeasure to it. So far, they had had limited success, but that clearly didn’t deter the rebels. 

“Hey, where’d you two disappear to?” Unbeknownst to Ahsoka, Ezra and Hera had approached the two of them, both clearly ready for the day’s events.

“You ok Ezra?” Kanan asked with concern, surprising the boy. Ahsoka knew what the knight was doing. “No visions or anything?” 

Ezra looked back at Kanan confused. “No, no visions. Why, have you seen one? Has Ahsoka?” 

Kanan looked over at Ahsoka, despite not being able to see. Through the force, Ahsoka could feel both relief, and worry. If Ezra was brought into this it would burden him with struggles not his own. And while Ezra was willing to help everyone who needed help, especially his friends, Ahsoka did not want to worry the teenager. 

“You don’t need to worry about it Ezra, Kanan and I can handle it. You help Hera today.” Ahsoka spoke kindly, with encouragement. Ezra had a look of concern and doubt on his face, as if he was debating whether or not to listen. 

In the end, Ezra nodded his head in understanding. 

“Ok Ahsoka. But if you need me, let me know.” 

Ahsoka smiled down at the boy, moving past him and squeezing his shoulder in the process. 

“Will do Padawan.” Ahsoka replied, before heading up the ramp into the Ghost. 

“Ahsoka and I need some privacy. I’ll come find you later.” Kanan spoke to Hera, before beginning to follow Ahsoka. 

“I understand love.” Hera replied softly, before heading off towards the command centre, Ezra in tow.

Ahsoka and Kanan once again headed for Kanan’s quarters, where the Jedi holocron was stored. Entering the room, Ahsoka retook her place on the floor, crossing her legs in a meditative position. Kanan entered behind her, moving to the back of the room and extracting the Jedi Holocron from a drawer under the bed, before taking his place on his seat.

“Are you sure about this? You have to use the darkside the open a Sith holocron.” Kanan asked with concern. He wouldn’t push her, force her not to do it. He trusted Ahsoka, and knew she knew her limits. 

“Positive. We have to find out what Maul is up too.” Ahsoka replied, removing the Sith holocron from the pouch on her waist. 

Kanan nodded, before closing his eyes and delving deep into the force. Ahsoka mimicked Kanan, focusing on mustering both sides of the force.

The two sat in silence for several minutes, not making any move to open the holocrons, much less combine them. Together, they reached into the force, finding their own balance and place within, whilst trying to find each other. 

To Ahsoka, Kanan was a bright light, one full of hopefulness, as well as compassion. He radiated love and care, as well as the willingness to do what was right. He was an unorthodox Jedi, but that was made him strong. 

To Kanan, Ahsoka was shadow, one consumed by both the light and the dark. She emanated anger yet peace, rage yet serenity, dark yet light. She had achieved her own balance, much different than that of the Bendu’s, but still a balance of some kind, despite everything she had seen and done. 

A sound filled the room, like metal scraping over metal lightly. The force exploded with the light side, filling the senses of both individuals. The Jedi holocron opened exposing the knowledge within. 

Seconds later, a blast of the darkside, although significantly more subdued, came to both force users. Ahsoka focused on restraining the darkside as much as she could, seeking to protect Kanan as bets she could. The Sith holocron began to open.

The two force users sat for several moments, both holocrons open and exposed, before guiding them together. 

The instant they touched, both Kanan and Ahsoka were guided into an almost ethereal like world, where they could see everything. The lifeforce of their friends shone brightly, filling their senses. In quite the contrast, the presence of their foes could also be seen, casting a dark light over them. 

The two pushed forward, seeking their answers.

‘Where is Maul?’ Ahsoka inquired in her head, hoping to be presented with the answer. If the Bendu was right, she would be presented with the answer. 

A vision came to her, of an orange planet, one with two stars shining down upon it. A figure could be seen, draped in black, covered in the orange of the planet. The figure was unmistakably Maul. But why was he there?

Another vision came to her, of an older man, dressed in brown robes, unfamiliar to Ahsoka’s eyes, yet familiar at the same time. 

The vision changed again, to a small farm in the middle of nowhere, and the figure from before watching over it. Ahsoka watched as the brown robed figure turned, only to be met with the face of Maul. 

So Maul was clearly after this person, but why? And who was he?

Still, she knew what Maul was up to, but not where he was. 

She called into the force again. 

‘What planet?’  
The vision changed again. This time, it was of the planet at night. In the distance she could see three figures venturing across the surface of the planet. The shape of one of them was that of an astromech droid. The other two she didn’t recognize. One was taller that the other, an adult and a child she guessed. Perhaps father and daughter, judging from their body shapes. 

She began to approach the figures. 

When she was closer, the vision began to clear. Before her, was her younger self, and her master.

She recognized when this was. The holocron was showing her her past in order to tell her where to go. 

The vision ended, the figures disappearing from sight as she was pulled out of it. 

Ahsoka’s eyes snapped open, just in time to see the holocrons part from one another and close their shells. Kanan too had left the vision, his milky eyes staring back at her. 

The two remained silent for a few seconds, reflecting on what they had seen. Then Ahsoka spoke. 

“Tatooine. Maul is hunting someone on Tatooine.”

Kanan nodded. “Any idea who?” 

Ahsoka shook her head. “No, but I recognized him from somewhere.”

Kanan had a contemplative look on his face. 

“So did I.” The blind Jedi responded. 

Ahsoka knew that something was up if Kanan too had recognized the figure. Whoever it was, Maul was hunting them. And Maul had called her to him for some reason. Perhaps it was a trap, perhaps not, but something in the force was telling her to go to Tatooine, and to find out the truth.

But another part of her sang a warning, as if something was about to go horribly wrong. 

************************************************************************************************************************************

The doors to the bridge of the Star Destroyer known as the Chimaera opened, and a figure walked in. 

Governor Arihnda Pryce stared out of the windows of the bridge, overseeing the imperial fleet assembled. She was mainly a politician, spending most of her days managing and maintaining control of Lothal, despite the growing rebel insurgency. 

But today, she had been invited to take part in what she hoped would be the death knell for the so-called rebellion. 

Behind her, the figure who had caused the doors to the bridge to open approached her. 

“Governor Pryce, I trust the fleet is mobilized for our attack on the rebel base.”

Pryce turned, coming around to face one of the few people she considered a friend. 

“Indeed Grand Admiral Thrawn, everything is prepared.” 

Grand Admiral Thrawn nodded at Pryce respectfully, a small smile on his face. 

“Excellent. Then the time has come. Prepare for hyperspace jump.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! Thrawn is coming!  
> So yeah, it shouldn't be too hard to determine who Maul is looking for. But how will Ahsoka react when she finds out? And more importantly, who will be going with her this time?  
> And since I forgot to mention in the notes at the end of the last chapter, who is this 'other' person who is seeking Maul that the Bendu warned them about?  
> All will be answered soon. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, short as it was.  
> Feel free to comment/speculate as usual.  
> Till next time, when things really hot up.


	4. Departing for Tatooine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ahsoka heads to Tatooine, with a stowaway onboard.  
> And a figure from the past re-emerges, but it's not who they expect it to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the true adventure begins in this chapter. Things are beginning to hot up.

“I’m still not convinced this is a good idea, but I know I can’t stop you from going.”

Ahsoka nearly laughed at Kanan’s note of concern. But he was right, she had to go. Even if it was a trap.

Besides, she had escaped from worse before. 

“I appreciate that Kanan.” Ahsoka replied, following the blind Jedi down the ramp of the Ghost and back into Chopper Base.

“At least take someone with you to watch your back.” Kanan halted his progress, turning to face his Togruta friend. 

Ahsoka shook her head in response. “No, I don’t want to disturb anyone with my problems Kanan. Besides, I need you here to ensure the base runs smoothly.” She knew Kanan wanted to tag along, she could feel it in the force. 

But Kanan was better off with his friends. With Sabine away with her family, they were already down one Spectre. No need to make it two because of some foolhardy errand of Ahsoka’s. 

Kanan was displeased, but understood. In the end, he chose to let her go. 

“May the force be with you Ahsoka Tano.” Kanan bowed slightly to his friend. Ahsoka reciprocated the gesture, before turning to head towards the landing zone for the fighters. 

She intended to borrow an A-wing for the trip to Tatooine. 

Kanan stood, waiting for Ahsoka to disappear from his senses, then turned and headed towards the command centre. Kanan didn’t want Ahsoka to go alone. He was privately concerned about her usage of the Sith holocron, and believed that she should have someone with her to keep her balanced, especially in the presence of a manipulating force like Maul. 

Kanan knew exactly who he had to speak to. There was one person on base who sought to protect Ahsoka from everything in the universe. One person who saw it as their job.  
Kanan went to speak to Ahsoka’s oldest friend. 

************************************************************************************

It hadn’t take Ahsoka long to fuel up and pack up the A-wing for the trip to Tatooine. She had just gotten clearance from Commander Sato to borrow the fighter, not that he would ever say no to Ahsoka anyway. 

As she headed back to the fighter, she passed by Kallus, who nodded at her in respect. In his hands was a datapad with the readings of the TIE Defender prototype. Clearly he was assisting in its study. 

Passing by Kallus, Ahsoka looked up at the A-wing and caught something. 

Behind the fighter, for just the briefest of seconds was movement. Had Ahsoka not been so worked up, she would have treated it as suspicious, but in her current mental state, all she could think about was getting to Tatooine and finding Maul.

Besides, it was probably just a droid running maintenance checks or something. 

As she reached the fighter, she ascended the stairs to the cockpit. While the A-wing as designed as a fighter, it had a surprisingly spacious amount of room on the inside, capable of holding a pilot and a passenger at the same time. 

Ahsoka sat down in the pilot seat, and began to run her hands along the controls. The control panel lit up before her, signalling that the fighter was ready for launch. She accessed the hyperdrive coordinates, and entered the coordinates for Tatooine, before taking off and directing the A-wing into orbit above Atollon. 

When she reached a safe distance, she keyed the hyperdrive, and the A-wing launched into hyperspace.

*********************************************************************************

Shortly afterwards, the fighter emerged above the orange planet. The two stars shone brightly out the corner of Ahsoka’s eye, a blatant contrast to the dull orange and browns of Tatooine. 

However, Ahsoka did not have the time to admire the view. She had to get down onto the planet and find Maul. 

Ahsoka glanced a look at her comm, device. According to her research, it would currently be night-time on Tatooine, which meant a significant drop in temperature. That meant her best bet was to find a secluded area to land, and find shelter from the dangers of night. 

Ahsoka’s thoughts turned to Maul, as she directed the fighter down towards the planet.

Why had he come here, of all places? The last time she had encountered him was in a Sith temple, seeking the Sith holocron. Was there something similar on Tatooine that had yet to be discovered? Or was Maul here for a more personal reason?

“Why the kriffing hell would Maul come to this dustball?” A voice, one that was not her own, echoed her thoughts from behind her.

The Togrutan woman span in her seat, her eyes coming into contact with hazel ones. Ahsoka’s face adopted one of shock and disbelief. Someone had stowed away on her ship, and gotten themselves involved in her mission, one that was potentially very dangerous. 

She expected this sort of thing from Ezra. 

Not from Rex. 

“Rex? What are you doing here?” Ahsoka spoke in shock. She hadn’t spoken to him since she had lashed out in anger at him. Ahsoka found she missed the sound of Rex’s voice, even if he shared it with several million brothers. 

“Heard you needed help. Thought I’d come along.” Rex replied simply, shrugging his armoured shoulders. 

Ahsoka sighed, “This is dangerous Rex, I didn’t want anyone else involved. You could get hurt!” 

Rex chuckled under his breath. “This coming from the person who snuck aboard a suicide mission to the Citadel when she was a teenager, against orders I might add. Guess you’ve rubbed off on me Commander.” There was a smile on the old clones face. He was clearly taking enjoyment out of mocking Ahsoka, and reminding her of her youthful recklessness when she was a Jedi padawan. 

Ahsoka was glad to see that Rex wasn’t holding a grudge against her for hitting him. She still hadn’t forgiven herself, which would take time. But he was still her friend. That meant the world to her. 

“Besides, I didn’t get to go to Malachor, and I so missed Maul’s exquisite company.” The sarcasm in Rex’s statement made Ahsoka guffaw under her breath. 

“Alright Captain, since you’re already here.”

Rex settled back into his seat, looking out the cockpit wing of the A-wing, down at the surface of Tatooine. 

“So, how do we find him then?” Rex inquired. 

Ahsoka temporarily released the controls, extracting the Sith holocron from her pouch, before bringing it before herself. 

“Hopefully the holocron will guide us.” Ahsoka responded, before reaching into the force. 

The Sith holocron shuddered lightly, before it began to float of its own volition, filling the A-wing cockpit with a red hue. 

In the force, Ahsoka saw a landing zone, and a figure, wrapped in a cloak, awaiting them. 

“Found you.” Ahsoka whispered, before trusting the force to guide her. She changed the direction if the A-wing, and descended through the atmosphere on Tatooine. 

The fighter passed through dark clouds, descended towards the sand coated surface. As they passed through the cloud layer, everything became darker. Night time on Tatooine was almost pitch black, unlike the neon glows of planets such as Coruscant or Alderaan. 

Ahsoka altered the course of the fighter slightly, angling it towards an open space, in between various pillars of rock. 

It was suitably covered, and would be a good place to leave the ship unattended while she searched for Maul. She doubted he would be in any cantina she knew of, hence why she stayed away from such populated areas. 

Besides, her vision had told her he was in the middle of nowhere, and close by at the same time. 

Ahsoka gently landed the fighter on the ground, powering in down and releasing the pilot hatch. 

Rex was out first, his blasters out, scouting the landing zone, and securing it. 

Ahsoka followed, reaching out her senses, both with the force, and with her natural Togrutan biology.

“So, which way then?” Rex inquired, satisfied that the area was secure from any threats. 

However, Ahsoka was not. Her montrals picked up movement on the ridge above them. The collection of rocks may have been a good place to hide the A-wing, but it left them open to being flanked from above. 

Ahsoka gestured lightly at Rex with a look of concern on her face, then followed her hand through to discreetly point upwards. 

Rex nodded, trusting his commander. 

Seconds later, gunfire erupted from the ridge. 

Rex darted for cover, whilst Ahsoka ignited her sabers, deflecting stray shots. She couldn’t identify the attackers, only that there were many of them. 

Rex had taken cover behind a smaller rock, and was firing upwards at their assailants. 

In the midst of combat, Ahsoka caught the sound of bizarre chanting, one that sounded almost tribal in nature. 

Whoever the attackers were, they got some strange level on enjoyment out of it. 

Or perhaps they were calling for reinforcements. 

Ahsoka deflected another series of blasts, some belonging to blasters themselves, others that seemed to be projectile based weapons. 

‘So, a primitive species then.’ Ahsoka thought, noting the use of projectiles rather than blasters. 

Then, suddenly, another sound reached Ahsoka’s montrals. 

The chanting changed, to what Ahsoka would now call screams of fear, and of pain.

Beneath that, Ahsoka heard the whirling of a lightsaber, one that was not her own, as it cut through the attackers and deflected shots back at them. 

Seconds later, the sounds stopped, all except the ominous hum of the lightsaber. 

“Guess Maul found us then.” Rex spoke, blasters still raised in case. 

Ahsoka wanted to confirm, but the presence she felt in the force was not Mauls. But it was somewhat familiar to her. 

Atop the ridge, a figure appeared, a red double bladed lightsaber in his hand. 

The figure was shorter than Maul, and dressed in a dull grey outfit that looked like armour. On said outfit, was an imperial cog, only it had been partially crossed off. 

The figure also possessed a peculiar helmet, one that covered his face. But despite this, Ahsoka recognized the figure. 

“Well, well. Ahsoka Tano. What a surprise to see you again.” The figure spoke with a modulated, yet energetic voice. 

“Ahsoka, who is that?” Rex asked quietly. 

Ahsoka snarled, and replied grimly. “The Eighth Brother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... not who you were expecting.  
> This was a fun reveal for me to do, as I doubt many expected him to reappear at this point in the story.  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one is a bit of a special chapter.  
> Let me know what you thought about this chapter, as well as the surprise at the end. Did you like it or not? Expect it or not?  
> Till next time.


	5. The Tale of the Eighth Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Eighth Brother struggles to deal with his newfound independence after Malachor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, flashback chapter time. This chapter essentially explains what the Eighth Brother has been up to since Malachor.  
> Hope you enjoy it.  
> Also, check the notes at the end of this chapter for a situation update.

It had only taken him a month to find someone kind enough to ‘donate’ their bacta tank to him. His broken arm, the only lasting injury from his fall off of the Malachor temple, had impaired him from making any real progress. He had done all he could, putting it in a sling to heal slowly, but without access to imperial technology, the Eighth Brother was forced to take extreme measures to ensure he healed fully. 

So here he was, in a small secluded village on a little known area of Nal Hutta, forcing someone to donate a bacta tank. How the family had acquired one mattered little to the Eighth Brother, only that he be allowed to use it. 

He had busted the door down, lightsaber ignited, demanding its usage. 

The owner had complied, clearly not desiring to die at his hands this day. 

A few hours later, the Eighth Brother’s arm was healed, so he left. 

Hopefully his presence had gone largely unnoticed. A renegade force user would usually attract a fair amount of attention, either from Jedi looking for fellow survivors, or other Inquisitors hunting for Jedi.

Beneath his helmet, the Eighth Brother growled at the thought of the Inquisitors. While he held no sympathy for the Jedi, he despised the Inquisitors more. 

“Bunch of power hungry zealots!” The Terrelian Jango Jumper growled under his breath. They had betrayed him. Lord Vader had tried to kill him, no doubt under his master’s orders. It was clear to the Eighth Brother, that as far as Vader had been concerned, only him and that infernal Togruta had meant to survive that day at Malachor.

But fate clearly had another idea. Instead, Vader was dead, Maul was on the loose, and the Eighth Brother was alive.

Alive, and ready to take his revenge. All he had to do, was find the means of exacting his revenge on the empire, as well as the Jedi who had left him for dead. 

**************************************************************************************************

Four months after Malachor, the Eighth Brother got his opportunity. 

A secret imperial installation, equipped with all the necessary supplies he could possibly need to survive. He was tired of living off of scraps. He wanted real food, and his fighter needed repairs. 

So under the cover of night, he snuck in. The Eighth Brother creeped into the facility, using his natural agility, as well as his resonance in the force to bypass security. 

From what he understood, this facility not only housed commercial goods, but some kind of weapon for the empire. If he could acquire, or destroy it, no doubt it would push the Emperor’s plans back. 

The Eighth Brother turned another corner of the facility he was in, coming face to face with a pair of Stormtroopers. 

In an instant, the former Inquisitor ignited his saber and cut down the troopers. He no longer cared for stealth. He had to find out what was happening here. Clearly the warehouse of food and other supplies was merely a front for the secrets within. 

Passing through another layer of security, the Eighth Brother entered the complexes control room. 

He was no alone. Inside were five imperial troopers, as well as a pair of officers. 

And clearly they were expecting him. 

“Open fire!” One of the officers called, and the troopers obeyed. 

The Eighth Brother deflected the shots, spinning his saber to eviscerate one officer, before reaching into the force and choking another. 

In a few mere seconds, the room was devoid of life, all except his. 

“Too easy.” The Inquisitor mumbled, moving over to a control panel. He entered a series of commands, seeing if his old codes worked. 

To the Eighth Brother’s surprise, they did, a fact that made him chuckle. Clearly they had not expected him to still be alive, and thus had not deactivated his codes. 

“Foolish ISB.” 

The Eighth Brother sifted through the various files he could access. All he could see was codenames. Black saber. Defender. War Mantle. Stardust. 

Despite his codes still working, the files were too heavily encrypted for the Eighth Brother to deal with, and he was running out of time. He extracted a small disc from a pouch in his armour, and inserted it into the console, downloading everything he could. 

The door behind him opened suddenly, a group of troopers entered, blasters drawn and ready. 

The Eighth Brother removed the disc, and charged at the troopers. 

*******************************************************************************

Needless to say, the Eighth Brother escaped unharmed. But then the troopers stood no real chance against him. After all, they were not clone troopers. 

He hadn’t acquired the food he had sought, but the information contained within the disc was worth a lot more to the right buyer. The Eighth Brother continued to mull this fact as he piloted his fighter away from the planet he had been on. 

All in all, today had been a productive day. 

And a detrimental one for the empire. 

************************************************************************************

It was nine months after Malachor that the Eighth Brother was beginning to grow desperate. 

No food. No water. No supplies of any kind had come into the possession. 

So here he was, stuck on a farming colony with a broken ship, eating the grass. 

He couldn’t show his face at the nearby farm. It was imperial controlled, and after his raid on the secret imperial facility, they were hunting him. 

So much so, that another Inquisitor had tracked the Eighth Brother down. 

The Ninth Sister, a human woman, had come for his head. 

And the Eighth Brother had left with hers. 

Not that he regretted it. She was an agent of the empire, his enemy. And she was out to kill him.

Still, he felt some remorse about killing an old companion. 

But that was how he found himself stuck here, fighter broken beyond all repair, no food anywhere. And a price on his head. 

And he still possessed the information he had acquired, still not knowing what to do with it. And till unable to decrypt it. Whatever was on it was important, and it was well out of his technical skills to access. 

“What secrets are you hiding now Emperor?” He muttered to himself, nudging the disc with a hand. 

The Eighth Brother sighed, standing up from where he had been sitting. He had to hunt before night came. If he was lucky, he would find a decent meal. 

If not, he might very well die this night. 

**********************************************************************************

Ten months after Malachor, luck finally swung his way. He had acquired a new ship, as well as supplies. And now, he had a rendezvous with a rebel agent. The Eighth Brother could not decrypt the information, but it was important to the empire. 

So he had arranged to give it to the rebellion. 

He didn’t like them anymore than the empire, but they were not out to kill him… yet. 

He would give the information, and watch as the two sides destroyed each other, then move in and salvage what he could for his own gain. 

Before him, a rebellion ship landed, and a tall human man exited from the ship, followed strangely by an imperial droid. 

‘Must be reprogrammed.’ The former Inquisitor thought. Still, there was no time to mull it over. 

The tall man approached him first, the droid waiting in back. 

“Do you have it?” The rebel asked. 

The Eighth Brother said nothing, merely produced the disc containing the encrypted information, and handing it over to the rebel. 

Said rebel took the disc, before gesturing to his robotic comrade.

The Eighth Brother watched as the two swapped places. In the droids hands was a case, hopefully full of credits, as was the deal they had agreed upon. The money would help the Eighth Brother in the long run, and it couldn’t be made to look like he was giving the information away free of charge. That would look suspicious. 

The droid unceremoniously dropped the case in front of the Eighth Brother. 

“Here is your money. Don’t spend it all at once.”

To the Eighth Brother’s surprise, the droid held a strange tone in his voice. Almost like sarcasm. 

The Eighth Brother shrugged it off, bending down to pick up the case of credits, before replying to the droid. 

“I hope the information serves you well.”

The droid didn’t reply, merely turned his back and walked back to his companion. 

The Eighth Brother didn’t stick around to watch them leave. He had done what he had come for. Now all he had to do was wait and see what happened. 

*******************************************************************************************************

A week later, the Eighth Brother life took an interesting, and unexpected turn. 

“Lady Tano.”

A voice in his head called out, but not for him. 

It called for the Togruta bitch. 

And by the sounds of it, it was Maul calling for her. 

Why was he calling for her? 

And why could the Eighth Brother hear it also?

He delved into his version of meditation, a dark gloomy world full of shadows and hatred. He sought answers, and to his surprise, he found one. 

The Sith Holocron. It had imprinted on him, despite it not deeming him worthy. 

And it had imprinted on Maul as well. Tano too if his presumption was accurate. 

That meant that Tano still had the holocron. And a Sith holocron was an object of immense power. 

If the Eighth Brother could retrieve it, he would gain the advantage over both sides. 

He could use it to manipulate everything. 

He could have his revenge. 

With renewed zeal, the Eighth Brother reached deeper into the force to find where his quarry was. He could sense the holocrons presence. All he had to do was follow it.  
Finding it was the easy part. 

Taking it from Ahsoka Tano would be the hard part. 

But then, the Eighth Brother was no stranger to impossible odds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eighth Brother... what are you up too exactly?  
> Anyone want to make a guess at where he broke into, and what he stole?  
> Also, who was that weird rebel with a droid by his side? I wonder?
> 
> All jokes aside, I hope you all enjoying this chapter, and that it covered the gap of time for the Eighth Brother well.  
> Feel free to comment and speculate as usual. Always good to see. 
> 
> Now to business:  
> I've not been able to write much recently due to an infernal cold I caught. Because of that I am behind on where I want to be in writing.  
> Also, I have been publishing these stories over at Fanfic.net recently, and they are just reaching the end of the second story. So... I am going to wait until they catch up to this point on this fic before updating it, that way its easier for me to know where everyone is, and it gives me more time to write out the rest of this story, as well as begin work on the sequel.  
> I know that might upset some people, and I'm sorry in advance. But fear not, this story will continue.  
> In the meantime, I have been considering writing some one-shots in regards to this AU. If anyone has any requests of what they want to see, let me know. Do you want to see the confrontation with the Eighth Brother and other Inquisitor mentioned in this chapter? Or do you want Ahsoka and Leia's discussion that was alluded to earlier? Whatever the request, let me know and I'll see what I can do. 
> 
> Sorry again for the upcoming delay.  
> Hope you all enjoyed the chapter.  
> Till next time.  
> SirLoozElite


	6. The Hunt Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ahsoka and Rex begin their hunt for Maul.  
> And the Eighth Brother lies in wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back from my unexpected hiatus, ready to resume normal fanfic duty.   
> In my time off I have successfully finished this story.  
> So here, have a chapter to celebrate.

Ahsoka stared up at the top of the ridge, where the Inquisitor stood. 

On Malachor, he was cocky and arrogant, yet skilled and posed a serious threat. 

Now, he seemed to be calmer, more in control. 

And that made him even more dangerous. 

“I thought you were dead. Ezra told me Vader pushed you off the temple’s edge.” Ahsoka called up at the Eighth Brother. 

Beneath his helmet, the former Inquisitor rolled his eyes. 

“A little fall will not kill me Ahsoka Tano. Underestimate me at your own peril!”

Rex, who had remained silent till now, took his opportunity to speak up. “So you’ve come to finish what your master started then?” The Clone called out.

The Eighth Brother laughed viciously. “I am no longer affiliated with the empire. And you possess something I want!”

“The holocron.” Ahsoka replied, clearly understanding the Inquisitor’s intent. The Sith holocron was dangerous in the wrong hands, and the Eighth Brothers were just that. 

If he got the holocron, who knows what he would do with it. Use it for his own advantage? Give it back to the emperor?

“Indeed. With the holocron, I can destroy all of my enemies. Starting with you, Ahsoka Tano. You and your friends left me for dead!” The Inquisitor yelled. 

“If I had known you were alive, I would have offered you mercy.” Ahsoka spoke clearly, surprising Rex. 

“Liar! You are as bad as the Sith! You seek nothing but power and control! That is why you still possess the holocron! Because you want its power! Not to keep it safe from the likes of me!” 

Ahsoka had had enough by this point. The Inquisitor was purposefully trying to grate her nerves, to get her to attack. 

And if she did, he had the advantage. The fight would be on his terms. 

So she would make it on her own terms instead. 

“You want the holocron, come and take it!” The Togruta called out, dropping into a ready stance, both sabers ignited. Beside her, Rex pointed his blasters up. 

The Eighth Brother laughed. “We both know that I cannot defeat you conventionally Ahsoka Tano. Instead, I shall bide my time, and strike when you least suspect it. Watch your back Togruta, I will be coming for that holocron soon.”

With that, the Eighth Brother disappeared from sight, walking away, for now. 

Ahsoka extinguished her lightsabers, contemplating the meaning of the Inquisitors words. 

She didn’t doubt his words. If he said he was coming, he would be. The only question was when would that be?

Ahsoka knew she has to keep her guard up. She wasn’t here for the Inquisitor. But he added an extra dimension to this already dangerous mission. If she was going to find Maul, as well as keep herself and Rex safe, she would have to be constantly on guard. 

“Charming fellow wasn’t he?” Rex inquired sarcastically, putting his blasters away. 

Ahsoka chuckled lightly, before nudging her old friend with her shoulder. 

“Come on Captain, we need to find shelter for the night. We’ll search for Maul in the morning.”

“Right behind you commander.” Rex replied, following the Togruta as she moved towards a sheltered position. 

*******************************************************************************************

It had taken an hour to find a suitable location to rest for the night, but they had succeeded, even managing to start a small fire. The cave they had found bore some evidence of life, nothing dangerous, only smaller critters. 

‘Still,’ Ahsoka thought, ‘Food is food.’

Rex watched with morbid disgust as Ahsoka lightly cooked the small beetle she had captured. She was already on her third wildlife snack. The dark shell of the beetle turned a darker colour, the heat from the fire causing the shell to crack slightly, juices slowly leaking from within. 

“How can you eat that?” Rex asked, cringing as Ahsoka put the beetle in her mouth, crushing it with her teeth. 

“Predator species remember. No everyone is an omnivore like you Rex.” Ahsoka replied in a snarky tone. 

“That’s an insect Ahsoka, not meat.” Rex responded, cringing again as crunching sounds came from Ahsoka. The Togruta smirked back at him, clearly enjoying his discomfort. 

“Anakin use to eat bugs too.” Ahsoka stated, surprising Rex further. The old clone was clearly not familiar with his former generals eating habits. 

“Disgusting! Give me a field ration any day.”

Ahsoka’s eyes widened. “Those things are tasteless. At least bugs have flavour to them. For example, this one is sweet, with a bit of…”

“Ahsoka no!” Rex replied, trying in vain to cover his ears. He didn’t want to hear her in depth description of how a bug tasted. 

Ahsoka chuckled lightly again, before a brief silence fell over the two friends. Only the sound of the fire crackling lightly could be heard. Ahsoka turned her attention to the cave entrance. Since the Eighth Brother had shown up, she had been constantly on alert, expecting him to make his appearance at any moment.

So far, he hadn’t shown, nor had there been any indication that he was about to. The force was suspiciously quiet. Even the holocron seemed to have a more subdued presence, suggesting that Maul too was resting. 

Ahsoka turned her attention to her comrade. Rex was resting his back against a nearby cave wall, whilst warming his hands on the fire. Accelerated aging was catching up to him it seemed, something that stung Ahsoka right to her very core. No one had expected the clones to survive long enough for the aging process to take its toll. Rex was still a capable fighter, but in time he would deteriorate. 

“Rex, I need to apologise.” Ahsoka began. She had to, for what she had done to him. It had been wrong and inexcusable. 

“No you don’t.” Rex replied firmly, a comforting look in his eyes. 

“I hit you Rex, I’m sorry!” Ahsoka stood from her position, crouching before Rex.

“No, I goaded you into it. I should never have compared you to Vader. You’re better than him. Always have been, always will be.” The clone leaned forward, pulling Ahsoka into an embrace that surprised her. She returned it seconds later, allowing herself to show a weakness. If anyone was allowed to see her break, it was Rex. 

“And I trust you Ahsoka. I know you won’t go too far with the holocron.” 

Ahsoka pulled back from the embrace, her eyes locking onto Rex’s hazel ones. 

“I know Rex, I just don’t know who I am anymore. Not since Malachor.”

Rex nodded in understanding. Malachor had taken its strain on the Togruta woman, in more ways than one. The discovery of the fate of her former master, and his subsequent death at her hands had pushed her down a darker path. 

And with Sidious clearly after her…

Rex had made it his mission to protect her, no matter to cost.   
“You are the same person I met on Christophsis all those years ago, just slightly less snippy.” Rex responded, encouraging his oldest friend. 

It clearly worked, as Ahsoka smiled. 

Silence settled over the two again, until Ahsoka spoke up again. 

“Get some rest Rex, I’ll take first watch.”

Rex nodded. They would swap in a few hours, ensuring they both got some rest. 

As Rex settled down, he spoke one last time. 

“You made your decisions, just as Anakin made his. You aren’t to blame for what he did, and you need to stop thinking you are.”

Ahsoka listened to Rex’s words. It was true, she blamed herself for Vader’s rise. Every day since Malachor she told herself that if she hadn’t left, things might have been different.   
But she also knew, deep down within herself, that some part of what Rex had said was true. 

“I’ll try Rex.” Ahsoka whispered to her old friend, the one who stuck by her through everything. 

The only response the clone gave was a light snore. 

A brief smile appeared on Ahsoka’s face as she settled into her watch. 

“Sleep well captain.”

************************************************************************************

At a distance, looking through a pair of long range lenses that he had stolen, the Eighth Brother watched the entrance to the cave. 

It would be foolish to attack Tano tonight. She was expecting it. 

Instead, he would wait. Sooner or later, she would be at a disadvantage. 

Then he would strike. 

The Eighth Brother settled down for the night. 

To him, it was only a matter of time before the Sith holocron fell into his possession.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the idea of a cave on Tatooine is somewhat weird, but hey.  
> Thank you to everyone who was patient in waiting for me to update. I hope it will be worth it.   
> Also, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, even if there was little to no action.   
> So, as usual, feel free to comment and speculate at will.   
> Thanks again.  
> Till next time.  
> :D


	7. Struggles and Storms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the search for Maul continues.   
> And the Eighth Brother makes his move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halfway mark time... time to ramp up the action.

Morning broke with a familiar voice in Ahsoka’s head. 

“Lure him out Lady Tano, and we will both have what we seek.”

Ahsoka shot up in alarm, the voice of Maul once again calling for her. She still didn’t know why he was here, or what he was searching for. 

Near the entrance of the cave, Rex approached. They had swapped during the early hours of the morning, allowing both time to rest for what lie ahead. 

“Maul again?” The clone asked, concern on his face. 

Ahsoka chose to reply non-verbally, merely nodding her head before rising to her feet somewhat shakily. 

It was then that Ahsoka felt a slight pull in the force. The Sith holocron was emanating power slowly, as if activated by some force. Ahsoka surmised that it was linked to Maul. She reached into the pouch she kept the artefact in, and held it before her. 

The holocron rose slightly in her palm, energy radiating off of it. In Ahsoka’s mind, a vision flashed before her. A man in the desert, endlessly walking. 

Maul. 

The holocron glowed a brighter red, indicating the path to follow. When held in one direction, it would light up fully. 

When held in another, the light dimmed. 

“Guess we follow the holocron then?” Rex asked. 

“By the looks of it.” Ahsoka replied, before taking point, holocron in her hand. 

************************************************************************************************

From a distance, unseen by naked eyes, the Eighth Brother watched as the Togruta and her clone exited from the cave they had spent the night in. In Tano’s hand, the Sith holocron glowed brightly, visible even under the strain of Tatooine’s twin suns. 

The two were heading east, along a rock ridge, one that kept them out of the desert, for the meantime. 

The Eighth Brother stood from his position, cloaking his presence in the force, and followed. 

Soon the holocron would be his. 

*******************************************************************************

The plan of following the light of the holocron had led to Ahsoka and Rex aimlessly walking along a ridge of rocks for the pat hour. The heat was unbearable, especially to the armoured Rex, and the sandy grains were beginning to agitate Ahsoka’s sensitive lekku and montrals. 

Nevertheless, they pushed on in search of Maul. For all they knew, he could be just ahead, out of water and delirious. Hell he might not even realise he was calling out for Ahsoka.  
‘Not kriffing likely. He needs me for something. But what?’ Ahsoka thought. There was no way this was an accident. 

“Not to sound like an annoying child, but how much longer?” Rex quipped from behind her. 

Ahsoka smirked. “Why captain, here I thought you were a military commander with excellent patience. I seem to remember you enjoying long treks back in the day.”

Rex guffawed behind her. “Yeah, when I was young and my bones didn’t ache from rapid age acceleration. Plus I wouldn’t call walking across a desert planet in search of a Sith Lord an enjoyable experience. How hot can this planet get?!”

“Former Sith Lord remember.” Ahsoka didn’t know why she felt the need to differentiate between the two. At times Maul had acted like he was still a Sith through and through, despite his claims otherwise. Ahsoka supposed it was the same reason she refused to call herself a Jedi. 

It was a matter of personal principal. 

So she chose to honour Maul’s choice, as he frequently did hers. 

“Yeah yeah, he’s still a conniving bastard in my eyes.” Rex spoke, humour in his voice, as well as clear dislike for the Zabrak. 

“On that we can agree.” Ahsoka replied. 

Shortly afterwards, the rocky terrain they had been walking on ran out, yet the holocron still directed them forward. 

That left them no choice, they had to cross the desert itself. 

A vast barren land with no cover, no water and no shelter. 

It could very well be the death of them. 

But both Ahsoka and Rex had survived worse together before. 

“This is gonna be fun.” Rex said sarcastically, before following Ahsoka across the open desert of Tatooine.

****************************************************************************

“This is not fun anymore!” Rex yelled through his helmet, his voice coming out distorted.

Ahsoka nearly snarled at the clone. If he thought he was having a hard time…

Per Ahsoka’s usual luck, as the two made their way across the barren open desert, a sandstorm blew in. 

Rex had immediately put his helmet on, blocking most of the sand from his eyes. Despite this, the wind and sand was still impairing both his movement and vision. 

Ahsoka had no such helmet, and thus had been forced to close her eyes, and allow the force to guide her. She found she had newfound respect for Kanan, as this was how he was forced to see things since Malachor. 

“Keep. Pushing. Forward. The storm will let up soon.” Ahsoka yelled back, sand filling her mouth as she punctuated the words. 

“You said that ten minutes ago!” Rex called back to her. 

Under her breath, Ahsoka growled again. She did not need this right now, not with the Sith holocron right there in her hand. She could feel its power, influencing her thoughts.   
Anger, resentment, hatred all flowed through her. Why was she here again? For some stupid Zabrak!

Ahsoka pushed the negative emotions aside. She didn’t want to repeat her mistreatment of Rex. 

The two continued to push forward for another few minutes, yet the storm showed no signs of letting up. 

“Maybe we should find some shelter somewhere?” Rex called out to her.

It was a logical assumption, if they hadn’t been in the middle of nowhere on a flat plain of land, stuck in a sandstorm that severely impaired their vision. 

Still, it was better to have a brief glimpse of hope. And right now, it was a better plan than continuing to push forward.

“Good idea, there’s got to be ARGH!”

Ahsoka screamed out in pain, clutching at her head in pain as she fell to her knees. Rex was beside her in seconds. 

“Ahsoka, what’s wrong? Ahsoka!”

The force was all wrong. Fear, anger, terror, all emanated from somewhere. It flooded into Ahsoka’s mind, causing intense pain, similar to that of a migraine. 

Despite the pain, Ahsoka reached into the force to see what was wrong. 

She located the source of the pain in seconds. 

“It’s Ezra Rex, something is wrong with Ezra. Kanan too.”

Her limited yet present force bonds with the two Jedi radiated negative emotions. Something was clearly wrong with them. 

“What? What do you mean?” Rex asked, concern in his voice as he checked his friend over for any physical wounds. 

“I don’t know Rex, but we need to get back to them. Screw whatever Maul wants.”

Right now Maul could wait, her friends were in danger. She had to get back to Atollon. 

Just then, as if out of nowhere, a rapidly spinning red light emerged from the sandstorm, barrelling down on Ahsoka and Rex. 

Ahsoka barely had enough time to shove Rex out of the way, before igniting her lightsaber and deflecting the blow as bets she could. 

Still, the force of the impact knocked her backwards. Before her, the Eighth Brother stood, lightsaber ignited, rotating menacingly. 

She had completely forgotten about him, and now she would pay the price. 

“Give me the holocron!” The Terrelian Jango Jumper snarled in his distorted voice. His helmet was blocking out the sandstorm, giving him a major advantage over Ahsoka. 

Ahsoka opened her eyes, her view still obstructed from the storm, but she would need her vision if she was able to duel the Inquisitor. 

From off to the side, a blaster sounded, and a bolt headed right towards the Eighth Brother. However, rather than strike him as intended, the Inquisitor shifted his lightsaber to deflect the bolt back at the person her fired it. 

Ahsoka watched through blurry vision as the bolt hit Rex square in the chest, knocking him off his feet and into a state of unconsciousness. 

“REX!” Ahsoka yelled, jumping to her feet and charging the Inquisitor in anger, both her sabers ignited. 

The Eighth Brother shifted again to block the strike from Ahsoka’s lightsabers, before countering with a flurry of his own, attempting to overwhelm his opponent. 

It was clear to Ahsoka that the Eighth Brother had improved since Malachor. Whereas before he attacked relentlessly, now he was more managed in his approach, seeking out her weaknesses. 

If she was not careful, he would defeat her.

Ahsoka brought her sabers downwards, trying to force the Inquisitor to block low, before bringing her shoto upwards, aiming for his head. 

But the Eighth Brother reacted, darting backwards from her, before charging back in once her swings had passed harmlessly through the air. 

“Come Tano, I expected a better fight. Surely you have learnt something from the holocron?” The Eighth Brother taunted, before reaching out with the force to push her backwards.

Ahsoka stumbled lightly, before regaining her footing and locking sabers with the Inquisitor. 

Both duellists pushed against one another, trying to force the other one back with brute strength. 

When neither gained any ground, the Inquisitor opted for the unorthodox. 

He mustered the force around him, and launched a volley of sand and wind at the Togruta. 

The force of the blow, as well as the painful stinging from the sand knocked Ahsoka off her feet, sending her lightsabers flying from her grip. 

The Sith holocron, previously in her pouch, fell to the floor beside her. 

She had been bested, and now she lay, waiting, both physical and mental pain swamping her. 

Above her, the Eighth Brother bent down and claimed his prize. 

“All the power of the ancient Sith is now in my hands. And you Ahsoka Tano have delivered it to me. Such a shame you will not be around to see my triumph.”

The Inquisitor raised his lightsaber above his head, intending on bringing it down upon Ahsoka. 

But the blow never came, at least not to Ahsoka. 

Ahsoka may not have been the recipient of the push, but she felt it nonetheless. 

A strong force push hit the Eighth Brother, sending him catapulting backwards into the sandstorm, and out of sight. 

Ahsoka lay there, eyes still clenched together to block out the sand. 

Above her, a figure appeared in her line of sight, one wrapped in a brown cloak. His face was concealed by a hood, but she could still see the person’s eyes. There were a bright blue, yet dulled by something. Concern, as well as shock was evident in the blue eyes. And deep beneath that, compassion and caring lay, now brought to the forefront at the sight of her. 

For the first time in a long time, Ahsoka Tano felt safe. So safe, that she allowed herself to fall into an unconscious state. 

She felt as if this person would look after her. Something deep within her told her she was safe. 

So she rested, and allowed this person to care for her, whoever it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no...  
> OH NO!!!  
> The Eighth Brother has the holocron!  
> And who is this mysterious cloaked figure? (rhetorical question... i'm sure you all know anyway :D)  
> And what is going on with Kanan and Ezra?
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next one.   
> Comment and speculate at will.  
> And feel free to ask questions. Questions are good.  
> Till next time.


	8. The Siege of Atollon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the events of 'Zero Hour' happen a bit earlier in canon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise. It's time for a perspective shift.

Dusk was falling across Atollon, the skies darkening as the sun set. 

Yet that did not stop Kanan Jarrus from meditating at the edge of Chopper Base. He was perched on his knees at the boundary of the base, behind the wall of sensors designed to keep the spider creatures that inhabited Atollon away. 

Not that they needed them to be fair. Kanan had learnt to coexist with the creatures. As long as one didn’t show fear or anger, and respected the existence of the spiders, they were more than happy to let you pass unharmed. 

Of course, that might be due to his force sensitivity, rather than just good manners. 

As Kanan mediated, he sensed unease and unbalance in the force. He had heard Maul call out again for Ahsoka, sounding far more desperate than last time. 

Ezra had been awake to hear Maul this time as well, prompting Kanan to reveal all to his apprentice. 

Predictably, Ezra had been mortified at the thought of Ahsoka going alone, demanding to know why they didn’t go to help her. She had come to Malachor with them, so in Ezra’s mind they should have gone to Tatooine with her. 

Kanan had done what he could to settle the boy’s nerves, revealing his discussion with Rex, and how the clone had decided to accompany the Togruta in secret. Kanan hoped that it wouldn’t cause any conflict between the two. He had sensed unrest from Ahsoka in recent months in regards to her old friend. Since Lothal, the two hadn’t spoken.   
It was times like those that Kanan wished he stilled possessed his sight. He was clearly missing something, and without being able to physically see, he was missing certain details. 

But he trusted Ahsoka, and he had learnt to trust Rex. Whatever the problem was, they would sort it out between themselves. 

Another presence appeared beside him as he mediated. Not one who could manipulate the force, but an individual who shone bright, even without being able to delve into the force. 

At least, in Kanan’s mind she did.

“You ok Kanan?” Hera’s soft voice asked as she moved to sit next to the Jedi knight. Kanan resisted the urge to reach out and pull her into an embrace. 

“Fine. Just meditating on things.” Kanan replied. Beside him, Hera nodded, turning her attention to the wilds of Atollon. 

“Still no word from Ahsoka?” Hera asked. Kanan had also told her about the mission, not that he could hid it even if he wanted to. Hera was remarkably good at figuring out when Kanan was hiding something from her.

“None yet. But Maul had been calling out for her again. Clearly she’s not found him yet.” Kanan replied, coming out of his meditative state. 

“I’m sure she’ll be fine. She’s got Rex with her after all.” Hera encouraged, her hand coming to rest on Kanan’s squeezing lightly. 

Kanan reciprocated the gesture, appreciating the support. However, something told Kanan that not all was at it seemed. 

“I know Hera, I just can’t shake the feeling that something is about to go horribly wrong.”

As if summoned by Kanan’s very words, Hera’s comm link began to blink in alarm.

“Captain Syndulla, report to the command centre immediately. We have a situation on our hands.” Commander Sato’s voice came through the comm, urgency evident. 

Concern flooded through Kanan and Hera, as they both stood and darted towards the command centre. 

When they arrived, Ezra and Zeb were already present, along with Sato, Kallus and the Larte sisters. 

“What’s going on?” Kanan asked, coming to stand beside his apprentice. Through the force bond he shared with Ezra, fear and worry was present. 

“I’d say look at screen master Jedi, but that would be in poor taste.” Sato responded. Again, Kanan wished he still possessed his vision. 

“Hera?” Kanan asked. She would let him know if it was serious. 

“The Empire has found us!” Hera replied, shock in her voice. 

Kanan could not see it, but the holographic table in the command centre had pinged a fleet of imperial vessels in orbit above Atollon. 

And at the head of the fleet, the Chimaera was present. 

Seconds later, the holograms changed, and the form of a familiar Chiss Grand Admiral appeared. 

“Commander Sato, Captain Syndulla, Agent Kallus, a pleasure to see you again in this remote sector of space. You are hopelessly outnumbered with no chance of escape. Your rebellion ends today!” The admiral spoke, his voice as eerie as always, with a hint of disguised malice in his tone. 

“How did you find us?” Kallus was the first to respond, hatred for the Chiss evident. The hologram of Thrawn smirked, as if holding some dastardly secret.

“An error of yours in a previous engagement. It matters little now.”

Hera spoke up next. “You expect us to surrender Grand Admiral.” 

Thrawn turned all his attention to the Twi-lek pilot, his red eyes boring into her skull, even though a hologram. 

“You misunderstand Captain Syndulla, I never intended to capture you. There shall be no surrenders, only utter defeat, crashing down upon you.” Thrawn spoke, as if reading some elaborate script he had prepared earlier. 

Beneath his mask, Kanan rolled his milky eyes. 

“And you shall know that it was I that delivered it to you this day. Now, let us proceed.” Thrawn finished his monologue, disconnecting the channel. 

An uneasy silence fell upon the collected rebels. No one dared move, or say anything. Some looked to Sato for guidance, others Hera. 

So it was a surprise to all when Zeb spoke first. 

“There’s no way we have the strength to overpower Thrawn.”

“Agreed, and no doubt he will have countermeasures in place to ensure we cannot escape.” Sato took Zeb’s line of thought, analysing the field of battle.   
The holographic screen depicting the assembled Star Destroyers had returned. Seven of the ships were present in orbit, as well as two smaller vessels that were familiar to the rebels. 

“Interdictors, great!” Ezra spoke with annoyance. “Thrawn thinks of everything.” 

“How did he find us though?” Kallus reiterated his question from earlier. Since becoming an official Fulcrum agent, Kallus had been in charge of the intelligence network for Phoenix Squadron. Was it possible that he slipped up somewhere and allowed Thrawn to trace the signal back to Atollon? 

“Right now that is not our concern. What is is getting as many people out of here as possible. We have to find a way to deal with those Interdictors first, before Thrawn lands ground troops.” Hera took command, her ‘Captain’ demeanour coming to the forefront. 

“Our carrier is already in orbit, and we have a few corvettes ready and waiting. But that is not enough to handle that many Star Destroyers, let alone a pair of Interdictors.” Miara joined in now, her hands interacting with the screen before her.

“True, but we do still have the Defender Prototype. Its weapons are designed to pierce even the strongest of ship’s hulls. If we can get in close to the Interdictors, we might have a chance.” Hera concluded, bringing up the schematics for the Defender, as well as what they had managed to pull from it so far. 

Admittedly, they had taken the Defender apart somewhat in order to study the design and develop a countermeasure. But that didn’t mean they could put it together again.   
Hera clearly had the same idea, as she brought up her comm to her mouth. 

“Chopper, AP5, we need to Defender ready to go ASAP.”

AP5 replied in his usual style. 

“I apologise Captain Syndulla, but that will take time, otherwise the fighter will not be in the best condition it could be. Certain systems may not work effectively.”  
Hera was about to shout at the droid, when Chopper’s annoyed beeps could be heard on the other side. 

“No Chopper, we cannot just rush the job. The Defender must be repaired systematically in order for it to operate at peak efficiency.”

The rebels did not have the time to wait for Chopper and AP5 to finish another of their exaggerated arguments. 

This time, it was Kanan that spoke through the comms. 

“Chop, we need the weapons online at the very least. Can you do that buddy?” 

Surprising everyone, Chopper buzzed back enthusiastically, following Kanan’s order without hesitance for the first time in a long while. Clearly the astromech knew that the situation was dire, and that it was not the time to mess around. 

“Ok, Chopper and AP5 will repair the ship, the rest of us will stall Thrawn’s fleet as long as we can.” Hera spoke. Nods and murmurs of agreement went around the collected rebels. 

Kanan however, had other intentions. 

“You guys go ahead, I have to warn somebody first.”

***********************************************************************************

Grand Admiral Thrawn stood on the bridge of the Chimaera, observing the planet below. It may have been crawling with his opposition, but it was still a beautiful place, full of mystery and intrigue. 

Perhaps when this war was over, he would come back and visit it, discover what he could about the planet. 

Till then, he had a battle to win. 

He had possessed the exact location of the rebel base since Lothal, when the rebels had stolen the TIE Defender prototype from him. Unbeknownst to them, a tracking beacon placed into the vessel had provided Thrawn with their exact location. The only reason he had not attacked sooner was to give himself more time to prepare, to analyse the tactics of Phoenix Squadron. He had learnt that Hera Syndulla would willingly sacrifice certain aspects for the safety of others, and that Jun Sato would come to the aid of any that needed him, regardless of the danger. 

All his research, all his so called defeats, would now culminate in this battle. 

He would destroy Phoenix Squadron, and capture Ahsoka Tano for the Emperor. 

Behind him, Governor Pryce spoke. 

“The fleet is in position, and Admiral Konstantine has ensured us that the gravity well generators of his Interdictors are working at optimum efficiency. Nothing can escape the blockade Grand Admiral.”

Thrawn knew it was a risk letting Konstantine be a part of this operation, but then everyone deserved a second chance. Maybe this time Konstatine would prove to be reliable, and not inept as he had in previous engagements. 

“Excellent work Governor, now we wait and let the rebels make the first move.” Thrawn replied. 

He was patient. He would let them come to him. 

“Very good Grand Admiral.” Pryce responded, before moving towards a holographic table near the back of the Chimaera’s bridge. 

Thrawn remained at the front, watching out the window, staring down at Atollon. 

“Your move Captain Syndulla.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go... time for some more Thrawn.   
> I apologize to anyone who thought you would be seeing Kenobi this chapter. The next few chapters are dedicated solely to what is happening on Atollon, so the stuff on Tatooine shall not be appearing.  
> Still, I hope you enjoyed the calm before the storm.   
> Next time all hell breaks loose.   
> As usual, comment and speculate at will.


	9. The Impenetrable Blockade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Siege of Atollon begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.... as it turns out... I can't write space battles.  
> Damn!  
> Oh well, hope you enjoy it anyway.

Miara Larte fiddled with a datapad in her hand, analysing the current status of the prototype Defender they had stolen from Thrawn. 

Now their only hope of escaping his blockade. 

Unfortunately, from where they had been running tests on the various pieces of equipment, it meant that the fighter was currently inoperable, mainly due to certain parts having been removed or shutdown. 

One such example, and the current route of Miara’s stress, was the shield generator the Defender possessed. It was one of the Defender’s most powerful additions, a feat of technology that put it leaps and bounds ahead of any other fighter the empire possessed, as well as the rebellion. 

And Miara could not work out for the life of her how the reinstall the generator. 

Still, at least the bases shield generator was currently operational. That prevented orbital bombardment, giving them a fighting chance at least. 

“How’s it coming Chopper?” Miara called out. 

The astromech in question replied with a series of beeps, indicating that the generator had been reattached. 

“Good work buddy. AP, can you get it to work?” Miara turned her attention to the other droid present. He too was fiddling with various components on the Defender. 

“I can Miss Larte, once Captain Kallus and I finish repairs to the propulsion system.”

On the other side of the Defender, Kallus worked diligently. Being familiar with imperial technology, he had volunteered to assist Miara in her assignment. 

Besides, in his own words, he wasn’t much help in space combat, preferring to stick to the ground. 

“AP, try powering up the engines.” Kallus called out, moving a safe distance away from the Defender to avoid any injury. 

AP5 did as he was told, and attempted to power up the engines. 

The Defender rumbled lightly, lifting off the ground slightly, before thudding back down, powerless. 

“Karabast!” Kallus called out. 

 

*********************************************************************************

Hera Syndulla had always dreamt of flying a ship in space, ever since her childhood. She dreamed of taking off from Ryloth, of exploring the vast unknowns of space, of getting her name down in the history books. 

She dreamed of forming a crew of friends, a family to call her own. Together they would travel the stars, go on adventures together, and fulfill all of Hera’s childhood dreams.   
Hera had achieved all of that. She had a ship, a crew, a family. All of space to visit, Adventures to go on. 

And an Empire to topple. That was one thing Hera never anticipated. 

“Phoenix Squadron follow me, we have to delay the empire as long as possible. Nothing gets through.”

“Copy Phoenix Leader, we are on your six.”

The space around Atollon was about to become a warzone, just as Ryloth once had. And Hera was at the forefront of it. 

What combat worthy ships the rebels possessed had been brought into orbit, forming a blockade, if it could be called that? 

Seven Imperial Star Destroyers, two Interdictor cruisers, and a legion of TIE fighters, versus one captured Imperial carrier and a handful of corvettes, as well as about two dozen A-wing fighters. 

All in all, there was no way the rebels could win a conventional fight. 

All they could do was wait and see if their secret weapon proved useful. Surely Thrawn was not expecting the Defender to be used against him. 

Hera expertly piloted the Ghost ahead, charging directly towards the line of approaching imperial fighters. Behind her, Wedge Antilles in his A-wing, backed up by the rest of Phoenix Squadron. 

In Hera’s eyes, they were the best of the best. And today they had to be at the top of their game. 

“Phoenix Squadron, engage!”

Seconds later, the space above Atollon was full of a myriad of colours. Reds and greens erupted from the opposing fighters, the occasional burst of yellow and white, indicating a destroyed fighter. 

TIE fighters were susceptible to even the smallest of blasters, making them easy prey. What they made up for in lack of armour was sheer quantity of them, something the empire clearly valued, given the effective usefulness of imperial Stormtroopers in general.

Hera may have been flying the superior ship, but against this many vessels, even the legendary Anakin Skywalker, the supposed best pilot of the republic, would be struggling.

“Zeb, are you actually hitting anything up there?” A cocky voice sounded from below the cockpit, in the nose gun of the Ghost. Hera rolled her eyes. Even in battle, Ezra seemed to turn everything into a battle. 

Naturally, Zeb responded with disdain. “At least I’m not cheating and using the force to hit my targets kid!”

“You sure you can see through all of that fur?”

“Is that why you cut yours off, so you could see better?”

Sometimes, just sometimes, Hera’s family could really grate on her nerves. And right now, in the midst of a life and death battle, was one of those times. 

“Can you two comedians shut up and hit something already?”

Surprisingly, it was not Hera that called them out on their behaviour, but her co-pilot.

Kaeden Larte sat next to her, her face scrunched up in a mix of fear and determination. 

When Hera had first met her, she thought Kaeden to be somewhat shy, unsure of herself. 

But then she saw Kaeden interacting with Ahsoka, and her whole demeanour changed. She came alive, full of enthusiasm around the Togruta. 

And Ahsoka too seemed to be more full of life, a rare shine in her eyes. 

If Hera didn’t know any better…

“Captain Syndulla, it appears the empire is jamming long range transmissions. We can’t get an SOS out.” Commander Sato’s voice came over the intercom. The commander had boarded the carrier, directing the battle from their rather than on the ground. 

“Understood Commander Sato, let’s hope our other plan works then.”

Sato had attempted to call for reinforcements, not willing to bank all their odds on one single fighter. Hera had seen the logic behind it. 

But with the empire jamming their comms, that left them with only one hope. 

The Defender had to be repaired first, but Hera was confident that it would work. 

And she trusted the person who would be flying it. 

********************************************************************************

Once again, Kanan Jarrus found himself traversing the wilderness of Atollon on speeder bike. This time, like so many before him, he was alone. 

Passing over another ridge, Kanan came to a stop. 

Slowly walking towards him, was the Bendu. Kanan could not see him, but his presence in the force was unmistakable. 

“Kanan Jarrus, Jedi Knight. What have you brought to my planet now?”

Dismounting the bike, Kanan walked up to the giant, falling to a meditative position before him. 

The Bendu mimicked his position. The two clearly had an understanding. 

“Bendu, the empire found us here. I get the feeling they are here for Ahsoka.”

“Oh dear, but she is not here is she?”

“No, she went in pursuit of Maul. We’re outmanned Bendu, is there anything you can do to help?” Kanan didn’t want to plead with the creature. He had done enough for Kanan already, helping to restore his confidence in himself after Malachor. 

“Could I? Yes. Will I? No!” The Bendu spoke, his voice ever booming. 

Kanan wanted to object, to shout and scream at the Bendu that it wasn’t fair. 

But deep within himself, he knew the Bendu would never help. He was the balance of the force, the one in the middle. 

He chose no side. 

In some way, Kanan respected that. 

“I understand Bendu, I just wanted to warn you about the empire. If they discover you here…”

Kanan could not see it, but the Bendu smiled back. 

“They shall not discover me Kanan Jarrus. I was here long before you were, and I shall be here long after. It has been a pleasure my friend.”

Kanan stood from his position, a wave of understanding and contempt passing through the force around him. 

“But if I may my friend, I have one more piece of advice for you.” The Bendu spoke, his tone becoming serious.

Kanan nodded. If the Bendu had something to say, then he would always listen. 

“The one you call Ahsoka Tano, she is on a dark dangerous path. If she continues down it alone, she may very well become everything she seeks to destroy. One day soon, she will face the darkness, and you must be there for her. Now go Kanan Jarrus, Jedi Knight. Save your friends.”

The Bendu was nothing if not cryptic, his statements always held deeper meaning. If Ahsoka was going down a dangerous path, he would do all in his power to help her. 

Assuming he survived today that was. 

“I will Bendu. And thank you!” Kanan replied, powering up the speeder bike, setting back off the wilderness of Atollon for what might very well be the last time. 

As Kanan disappeared into the distance, the Bendu spoke quietly to himself. 

“No Kanan Jarrus, thank you.”

***************************************************************************

Repairs were almost complete. After several mistakes, Kallus and AP had repaired the propulsion systems, and Chopper had reinstalled the shield generator.

All that was left was to reinitialize the weapons systems. 

“Ok Chopper, get ready.”

The droid beeped back at Miara several times, pointing out the fluctuations of power that Miara was seeing on her datapad. Beside her, Kallus watched. 

“That’s just from the engines Chopper, no need to worry. Test fire the weapons at will.” Miara replied. 

Beside her, Miara glimpsed Kallus shuffle slightly. Ever since Thrawn had shown up, he had been trying to figure out how they had been discovered. It was as if Kallus was obsessed with finding out how. 

‘Guess that’s why he’s the Fulcrum agent.’ Miara thought. 

Miara’s train of thought was then interrupted from the burst of green light that flew out of the Defender’s cannons. 

Flew out, and promptly blew a hole in the side of Chopper Base.

Amongst the smoke and debris, a figure emerged. 

“What the hell was that?!”

Chopper merely laughed. Miara was sure that droid was evil.

“Sorry Kanan, just testing the weapons.” Miara called out. 

Kanan, who had narrowly avoided becoming a smear on a nearby wall, shrugged his shoulders, as if working out a sore muscle. 

“Well it clearly works. Can we use it against Thrawn now?” Kanan called out sarcastically. Chopper chuckled again in his mechanical voice. 

“Yep, it’s ready to go.” Miara replied, handing off the datapad she had been working on the AP5, before moving to enter the cockpit of the fighter. 

“Where do you think you are going?” Kallus inquired, a look of concern on his face. 

“What? I’ve piloted it before. Makes sense I do it again.” Miara replied, strapping herself in. “You coming Chopper?”

The astromech wasted no time, hopping in behind Miara, wanting to test his work personally. 

“Your sister won’t like this.” Kanan called out, a smile on his face. From what he had heard, Miara was an incredible pilot, rivalling Hera herself. 

“Yeah, but then I doubt she liked her girlfriend running off in pursuit of some creepy old man very much either.” Miara barely had time to sarcastically reply, before lifting the Defender into the air, and heading towards orbit to join the battle. 

“Girlfriend? What?” Kallus was perplexed by Miara’s comment. He had never seen Kaeden with any girl before. What was he missing?

Beside him, Kanan chuckled under his breath, understanding what Miara had been alluding to. 

“Captain Kallus, Master Jarrus, I believe I have discovered something in regards to the Defender.” AP5 approached from the side, datapad in hand. 

On it was the schematics of the Defender, still showing the strange power fluctuations from earlier. 

“What is it AP?” Kanan asked with concern. 

“I believe I have discovered how Grand Admiral Thrawn found us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my best work I know, but I hope you enjoyed it none the less.  
> Oh, and I changed some of the plotline of the original episode as well.  
> Did anyone else finds Bendu's temper tantrum, as well as Kanan's goading to be somewhat out of character for them both... or is that just me?  
> Regardless, comment and speculate at will.


	10. The Battle of Atollon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the rebels enact their plan.  
> And Thrawn enacts his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More space battles again. Still not very good in my opinion, but hey.  
> Long chapter as well. Hope you all enjoy.

Grand Admiral Thrawn watched the battle unfold before him. The rebels clearly knew that they did not have the strength to overpower him with brute force. So what were they up to?

“Grand Admiral, why do we not just charge the rebel fleet with our Destroyers? We vastly outnumber them.”

Konstantine had been a constant thorn in Thrawn’s side since this operation began. And now it seemed he was growing bold with his claims. 

Too bold. 

“Because Admiral Konstantine, if we do that we risk exposing the Interdictor cruisers to enemy fire. If they fall, the rebels escape. By maintaining our current position, we not only trap the rebels, but we safeguard the fleet as well.” Thrawn didn’t think he would have to explain simple tactics to an imperial officer, but it turned out he did. 

Konstantine was more politician than military, as Pryce had once stated. 

“I still believe a full frontal assault would be more effective.” Konstantine quipped over comm, annoyance in his voice. 

Thrawn resisted the urge to roll his eyes in disdain for the human. 

“And that is why you have never been able to defeat this rebel cell. Your tactics are predictable to them. However, I will follow a variation of your suggestion.”

Thrawn was not willing to break his well-fortified defensive line yet, not until he had the rebels on the run. 

Till then, there was one thing the Star Destroyers could do. 

Demoralize the rebels. 

Thrawn turned from his position, shifting his attention to where Governor Pryce was in back. 

“Governor, order all Star Destroyers to power up weapons. Target the rebel base below.”

*************************************************************************************

Despite how many TIE fighters the pilots of Phoenix Squadron shot down, they barely seemed to make a dent in the imperial numbers. They just kept coming and coming.   
If they did not get the Defender airborne soon, then they would be doomed. 

Hera pulled the Ghost into a barrel roll, avoiding a series of blasts from a TIE fighter, whilst simultaneously angling her own ship to get a clear shot on the imperial. 

Seconds later, the fighter exploded in a cloud of white flame, debris colliding against the hull of the Ghost.

“Captain Syndulla, we have a situation. TIE bombers are en-route for our corvettes.” Sato’s voice had been a constant throughout the battle, directing Hera and her wing across the battlefield. His primary concern was the safety of the fleet, and the people below. 

“Copy that Commander Sato, we are on our way.”

Hera redirected the Ghost, heading towards the nearest rebel corvette. It already appeared to be damaged, a significant hull breach present in one side of the ship. Around it, the TIE bombers circled for another pass, this time one that would prove lethal. 

“Zeb, Ezra, bombers straight ahead, take them down!”

Both the Lasat and young Jedi called out in acknowledgement from their positions, firing a series of blasts towards the bombers. Two hit their mark, the bombers erupting into flames. The other three escaped, all diverting in different directions. 

“Oh no you don’t!” Hera whispered to herself, firing a blast herself from the pilot’s seat. Another bomber was vaporized in seconds. 

“There’s still two more out there.” Kaeden called out from the co-pilot seat, analysing the battlefield, trying to find where the battle was at its peak. 

“Phoenix leader, I’ve got this one!” Wedge’s voice came over the comms, the ace pilot angling his A-wing from behind the Ghost and pursuing one of the bombers.

Seconds later, Wedge succeeded in destroying the ship, a cheer coming over the comm from him. 

“Still one more.” Kaeden called.

Hera made to move the Ghost to deal with the final bomber, when another ship of imperial design emerged beside the Ghost. 

“I got this one!” Miara Larte’s voice emerged from the comm, the TIE Defender prototype now clearly under her command. Through the comm, Hera could hear the sounds of Chopper beeping in alarm. 

“Miara? Now what are you doing?” Kaeden called in alarm, rising from her seat.

“Helping!” Her sister responded, firing the weapons of the Defender at the TIE bomber.

The bomber pilot tried in vain to evade, but was no match for the versatility of the Defender. 

Within moments of her arrival, the final bomber was destroyed. 

Another series of cheers came through the intercom, but the battle was not over yet. 

“Commander Sato, bomber wing destroyed and the Defender is airborne. We’re going to begin our run at the Interdictors.” Hera spoke over comm, filling in Sato on the recent developments. Now that the Defender was in the fight, the rebels had hope. 

Hope that was soon shaken to its very core.

“Captain Syndulla, we are picking up massive energy readings from the imperial blockade. Those Destroyers are about to open fire.”

Sure enough, moments later, the destroyers fired. 

Hera braced herself. 

The turbolasers fired great green bursts of energy towards the rebels. If even a single shot landed, the rebel fleet would be shattered. 

But as Hera watched, she realized something. 

The Star Destroyers were not targeting the rebel fleet. 

They were firing down at Atollon. Right at Chopper Base. 

Right where Kanan was!

***************************************************************************************************************

Both Kanan and Kallus waited in silence for AP5 to say anything. But the droid did nothing. He remained motionless and silent, looking down at the datapad. 

If Kanan didn’t know any better, he would say the droid was surprised. 

Still, they could not afford to wait, not with Thrawn and his fleet in orbit. 

“AP, talk to us. How did he do it?” Kanan encouraged. AP5 looked up at Kanan, as if regaining his composure. 

The droid was if anything, expressive. 

“Miss Larte was correct about the power readings being that of the Defender’s propulsion system, however, underneath the readings is a secondary power source, one emanating its own readings.” AP began. 

Kanan listened, unable to see the expression of worry currently on Kallus’ face. 

“Go on.” The Jedi said. 

“The secondary power source is coming from an imperial class tracking beacon, a top of the line experimental device used only by the highest ranks of the empire. It is logical to presume that Grand Admiral Thrawn hid the device in the architecture of the Defender itself, relying on the power generated by the fighter to mask to beacons signal, which is only active once the fighter itself is.” AP5 finished his long explanation, his voice becoming faster and more panicked as it reached the end. 

A tracking beacon, hidden within the Defender. That’s how Thrawn had done it. 

And it wasn’t the first time it had happen to them either.

“So if Thrawn could track us since we stole the Defender, why wait till now to attack us?” Kallus produced a viable question. Why had Thrawn waited?

Kanan mulled over their previous encounters with the Grand Admiral. Whilst he had never come face to face with him, Hera and the other had on numerous occasions. Each time, when it seemed that Thrawn was victorious, the rebels seemed to get away through blind luck. 

It was almost as if Thrawn was allowing them to escape for some reason!

“He’s been studying us, finding out our weaknesses so that when he did attack, it was easier to predict our methods!” Kanan realized in an instant, voicing his discovery to Kallus and AP5. 

If Thrawn had been planning this from the start, that meant that he had every outcome analysed. 

Including the usage of the Defender against him. 

“Kriff, I bet he’s anticipating us using the Defender against him!” Kallus clearly had a similar train of thought, concern evident on his face. 

“It would seem mostly likely. Right now we must warn Miss Larte about the danger, as well as Commander Sato and Captain Syndulla.” AP5 spoke as be began to move towards the Phantom. The shuttle had been left by Hera to provide an escape route for Kanan and the others once they had finished on Atollon. 

Kanan and Kallus made to follow AP, when the sky darknened suddenly. 

In the distance, a loud sonic boom reverberated through Kanan’s ears.

Seconds later, all hell broke loose. 

Kanan could not see what was happening, but from the panicked yells of Kallus and AP5, as well as the loud explosions and sounds of a shield generator straining itself, Kanan could piece together what was happening. 

Thrawn was using orbital bombardment on them. 

Clearly, Chopper Base’s shield was holding, as they hadn’t been reduced to atoms yet, but it was only a matter of time.

“MOVE! EVERYONE TO THE PHANTOM!” Kanan yelled to what remained of the rebel ground crew. Many abandoned their tasks of repairs. They didn’t have to time to get any more ships airborne. They had to go now! 

‘Run Kanan Jarrus! You must leave this place now!’ A deep majestic voice echoed in Kanan’s head. 

It was sound advice, so Kanan did, breaking into a full on sprint towards the Phantom, whilst turbolaser fire rained down upon the shield above. 

Darting past a pair of rebel mechanics who had settled down into the Phantom, Kanan moved into the cockpit. 

Both Kallus was AP5 had already taken the helm, powering up the engines and preparing for departure. 

“Is everyone on board?” Kallus called out to the back, addressing the rebels amassing for escape. 

Confirmation came seconds later. Those who could not make it to the Phantom had already taken off in smaller transport vessels, as well as what remained of the A-wing fighter squadron. 

“Get us out of here Kallus!” Kanan replied as the former ISB agent lifted the Phantom off the ground. 

Turbolaser fire continued to pound the shield, which was beginning to fail. 

Kallus piloted the Phantom, through the shield, expertly finding a brief gap in the turbolaser fire. Seconds after their departure, the generator failed and the shield collapsed.   
Chopper Base erupted into a plume of smoke and dirt as it was vaporized in an instant under the combine might of the Star Destroyers in orbit. 

Kanan could only hope that Hera and the fleet was not in a similar state.

**********************************************************************************************

“Grand Admiral, energy readings from the planet indicate that the shield around the rebel base has fallen.” An imperial officer on the bridge of the Chimaera delivered the news to Thrawn, who was now in standing before the holographic table in the back of the bridge alongside Pryce. 

“Excellent work officer. Now the rebels have nowhere to go but towards our blockade. Order all Destroyers to hold their fire and wait for my signal.” Thrawn responded, turning the face the officer, who saluted and returned to his post. 

“Now we wait.” Pryce spoke from beside him. 

Thrawn nodded in agreement. It was only a matter of time now.

***********************************************************************************************

Hera watched as the turbolaser bombardment halted, the weapons of the Star Destroyers cooling down from their continued use. Had that amount of firepower been aimed at the rebel fleet, it would have been annihilated in an instant. Hera could only assumed the same had happened to Chopper Base.

Fear flooded her mind. What had happened to Kanan? Was he alright? Had he and the others escaped?

Beside her, Kaeden had a look of concern on her face. The human woman reached out to place a comforting hand on the Twi-lek’s shoulder. 

“I’m sure he’s fine Hera. He is a Jedi after all.” Kaeden spoke, clearly understanding Hera’s plight. 

Hera shook off the thought of Kanan not making it. Now was not the time. If he was, she would grieve later in private, right now, they had an interdictor to destroy.   
Hera keyed the Ghost’s controls, pulling the freighter alongside the captured Defender. 

“Miara, target the Interdictor with everything you have, we’ll cover you.” Hera ordered over comm. 

Miara responded. “Copy Phoenix leader.”

The two ships weaved between a barrage of laser fire, courtesy of the various TIE fighters that were still operational. 

If all went to plan, the weapons of the Defender would be able to penetrate the hull of the Interdictors with ease, destroying the cruisers and allowing the rebels to make their escape. 

Passing by another wing of TIE fighters, the Ghost and the Defender made it within firing distance of the first Interdictor. 

Miara fired the weapons of the Defender, aiming directly at the large ball like constructs on the top of the Interdictor, where the gravity well generators were based. 

The Defender’s armaments worked like a charm, bypassing the shields of the Interdictor, and rupturing the hull in various places. 

Small chain reaction like explosions began to illuminate the top of the hull of the imperial ship, as the vessel buckled under the strain of the Defender’s weapons. 

“Miara pull out now, the Interdictor is about to go up!” Hera ordered, pulling the Ghost away from the now volatile Interdictor. 

Miara did as ordered, manoeuvring the Defender away and into formation with the Ghost. Their trajectory put them on intercept course with the second Interdictor.

Behind them, the first Interdictor imploded in on itself, a large hazy blue explosion occurring, shattering the ship into two and rendering it useless. It was unlikely that any aboard the vessel had survived. 

Hera found that she didn’t care. 

***************************************************************************************

“Grand Admiral, the rebels have destroyed the first Interdictor!” An imperial officer, the same from before, shouted across the bridge of the Chimaera in alarm. Thrawn turned his head slightly to glimpse at Pryce, who too was looking concerned. 

Thrawn however, did not share the sentiment. Everything was going according to plan. 

“It would appear the rebels are using the prototype TIE Defender against us.” Pryce spoke, her hand moving over the holographic table to bring up an image of the Defender. 

“Indeed. How unfortunate for them.” The Chiss replied. Pryce looked up in doubt. 

Thrawn had anticipated that this might happen, all the way since Lothal. The tracking beacon had served but one of its purposes, allowing Thrawn to find the location of the rebel base with ease. 

However, unbeknownst to everyone, the beacon also had a secondary function. 

It acted as an EMP bomb, similar to those used by the clone troopers during the clone war against Separatist battle droids. And now it would allow Thrawn to remotely disable all of the functions of the Defender, allowing it to be recaptured, along with the pilot who flew it. 

Reaching his hand down to a console on the holographic table, Thrawn brought up the schematic for the beacon, and keyed the command control for the EMP. 

******************************************************************************************************

An intense ringing vibrated through Miara’s ears, as a pulse of energy rocked the Defender, the controls failing before her. 

Behind her, she heard Chopper release a series of panicked beeps, before promptly shutting off too. 

The Defender spun out of her control. Nothing was responding. Weapons, engines, shields, all was dead. 

Meaning she was vulnerable. 

Even her comm channel was gone, meaning she couldn’t contact Hera or the others for assistance. 

She was dead in the water. 

‘An EMP, that’s what I’m betting.’ Miara thought as she looked out the cockpit window. She expected to see other rebel ships drifting without power life she was.   
But they weren’t. The Ghost was still operable, as was the squadron of A-wings. 

That meant that something was wrong with the Defender itself. Miara had made sure that it was fully operational before taking off. She wouldn’t have attempted to fly it if something was wrong. Was this connected to the power readings from earlier?

Or perhaps Thrawn was somehow behind this?

All Miara knew was that she was in trouble. 

The Defender jolted suddenly, and then began to slowly move towards the lead Star Destroyer. 

She was caught in a tractor beam, and it was pulling her directly to Thrawn. 

*************************************************************************************

“Miara, what’s wrong? Why have you stopped? Miara?!” Kaeden shouted over the comms, fear filling her body as she watched the Defender suddenly halt, and all communication cutting off. Beside her, Hera pulled away from approaching the second Interdictor, retreating back to cover the now offline Defender from various TIE fighters. 

Whatever was wrong was serious, and detrimental. The rebels had pinned all of their hope on that prototype ship, and now it wasn’t working. 

And with one Interdictor still operable, the rebel fleet was stuck facing Thrawn’s might.

“Spectre Two do you read me? Spectre Two?” A new voice sounded over the comm link, and Hera’s face brighten exponentially. 

“Kanan, thank goodness you’re alright!” Hera replied, sighing in relief. Beside her, Kaeden shrunk in her seat in despair. 

“Hera, the Defender is booby trapped. Thrawn placed a tracking beacon on it. It’s how he found us.” Kanan’s voice crackled slightly over comm. In the background, Kallus and AP5 could be heard bickering over how the fly the Phantom. 

“The Defender’s just shut off. We’re getting no power readings from it whatsoever.” Hera replied, horror in her voice. If Thrawn had been planning this since Lothal, then he would have had time to plan for every possible outcome. Including the Defender being used against them. 

“My guess is that Thrawn placed another trap on the Defender, and ion bomb or something that disables electronics.” AP5 hijacked the comm link, adding his hypothesis to the conversation at hand. 

Hera sat back in her seat. Without the Defender operable, they stood little to no chance of escape. 

And they couldn’t defeat Thrawn’s blockade conventionally. 

What they needed, right now, was a miracle.

**************************************************************************************

Grand Admiral Thrawn stood at the front of the bridge, looking out the window at the battle raging before him. 

The Defender was offline, and slowly being pulled towards him via tractor beam. Soon, he would have both his prototype, and the pilot. 

But right now that didn’t concern him. He had very nearly lost the battle. If the other Interdictor fell, then the rebels would escape. And that was something he could not abide. He had spent weeks planning this operation, learning the tactics of his foe. 

He had to destroy the fleet, whilst simultaneously protecting the second Interdictor. 

Thrawn opened a comm link to the Admiral in charge of the remaining Interdictor. 

“Admiral Konstantine, the safety of your ship is paramount to our success. Move it behind the Chimaera and out of the battle.”

Konstantine’s face was one of shock. Shock at being denied a place in the battle. Instead, he was being forced to retreat. 

“But Grand Admiral, we have them. There is no need for a retreat!” Konstantine spat. This time Thrawn visibly rolled his eyes, something the human Admiral did not take lightly. 

“Konstantine, I do not have time to deal with your over-zealous egomania, fall back now! We must expect the unexpected!” Thrawn rarely rose his voice against someone. Shouting never go anyone anywhere in the long run. He preferred to speak calmly, appealing to a person in a comforting place, rather than through fear and anger. 

Konstantine snorted in frustration, but followed his orders. 

“As you wish, ‘Grand Admiral’.” 

Thrawn didn’t have time to deal with Konstantine right now, so he overlooked the sarcastic usage of his title. 

He had a battle to win. 

“Target all batteries on the rebel fleet. Order all Star Destroyers to open fire. Box them in!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything that could have gone wrong, has.   
> Next time, its the moment you have all been waiting for (I presume at least), as we head back to the Tatooine side of the story.  
> As usual, comment and speculate at will.  
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	11. The Hermit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a long awaited reunion finally occurs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go...

Her vision was blurry when she finally opened her eyes. Blurry from exhaustion, from the sand storm. 

And from the surprise beating she took from the former Inquisitor. Her bones ached, bruises would no doubt be forming on her skin. 

But still, Ahsoka Tano lived. 

Raising her head up slowly from where she lay, Ahsoka surveyed her surroundings. 

It was night time on Tatooine again, and the storm had clearly passed. The twin stars in the sky had set, a pair of blight blue moons shining in the distance instead, basking Ahsoka in an eerie white glow. No doubt the temperature had dropped significantly also. 

It was then that Ahsoka realized that there was a heat source nearby. Moving her head, she caught a glimpse of orange light, emanating from a fire. 

She hadn’t built it, had she?

“Rex?” Ahsoka whispered, her vision beginning to clear. 

Turning over, she saw him nearby, asleep. 

His chest armor had been removed, exposing his skin underneath where he had been hit by his own blaster bolt. A bacta bandage was wrapped around his midsection, helping to ensure the wound was not causing any unnecessary grief. He would survive. Like her, Rex had endured worse before. 

But that brought about a question to Ahsoka. If she hadn’t helped patch Rex up, and if she hadn’t started a fire, who had? 

‘And where did they get the wood from?’

Rex was clearly not able too, his presence in the force being subdued due to his injury. 

Maul came to mind for a brief second, but then Ahsoka doubted that the Zabrak would have saved Rex willingly. 

Suddenly, another signature in the force erupted through Ahsoka’s shields. One that was bright with the lightside of the force, but subdued at the same time. It was familiar to her, yet foreign at the same time, as if she knew the signature, but had not encountered it in a long time. 

Her montrals picked up the briefest shift of movement nearby, just on the other side of the fire. 

Ahsoka sat slowly, guarding herself and Rex in case. 

On the other side of the fire to her, prodding it lightly with a piece of wood, was a figure, covered from head to toe in a brown cloak. The cloak covered most of his face, showing only a white beard. 

‘So, human most likely then.’ Ahsoka thought. She remained still, watching this figure, whoever it was. 

The figure then seemed to notice her movements, and he lifted his head, exposing more of his face behind the hood of his cloak. 

Now Ahsoka could study him in detail. His face was wrinkled, suggesting old age, and covered in sand particles, most likely from the storm. It was evident that this was the same person who had saved her from the Eighth Brother in the storm. 

‘But who is he?’ Ahsoka mulled, continuing to study the figure before her. 

Then the figure locked eyes with her. Bright blue, yet somehow dulled eyes stared back at her. In them, was despair and loss, yet some semblance of hope and love. 

As if the figure was seeing someone he cared for for the first time in a long while. 

Ahsoka looked closer. The blue eyes seemed familiar, as if she had seen them before. 

Memories came back to her. A kind man, always willing to listen, to offer advice, and at times, offer snark and sarcasm. 

But it couldn’t be him, could it? 

Bail Organa had said he was dead!

“Impossible.” Ahsoka whispered, more to herself than to the figure before her. 

“Nothing is impossible young one.” The figure replied, in a wise yet familiar voice. 

A wave of queasiness came over Ahsoka, as she moved her hand to her head, gripping it in pain. She felt a headache coming on. 

The cloaked figure was by her side in an instant, his hands supporting her, stopping her from falling to the ground. Waves of comfort came off of him through the force. The figure reached up with one hand, supporting Ahsoka with his other, and removed his hood. 

His hair had receded, and was white in colour now. But he still looked like the respected Jedi Master he once was. 

“Obi-Wan?” Ahsoka whispered in disbelief. It couldn’t be him!

“Hello again my dear, it’s so good to see you.” Obi-Wan Kenobi whispered back, before abandoning all pretences of a mysterious hermit act and enveloping the Togruta woman into a crushing hug. 

Ahsoka reciprocated the gesture immediately. 

After all these years, all these disasters and failures. After finding out the truth about Anakin, Ahsoka had found somebody from her past that she trusted alive. She had known Rex had survived, but Obi-Wan…

All reports had said he had died at the hands of Vader. 

So to find him alive after all this time filled Ahsoka with a rare sense of joy and nostalgia. 

But why was he here, on Tatooine of all places?

Ahsoka pulled back from the hug, but maintained her grip on her Grandmaster’s shoulders, keeping him at eye level. 

It occurred to her that she was probably taller than him now. 

“What are you doing here master?” Ahsoka enquired, youthful enthusiasm in her voice. 

Obi-Wan smiled minimally back, a sense of loss clear in his eyes. 

“Hiding my Grandpadawan, from the empire.” Obi-Wan’s response had always been straight and direct to the point, unlike Anakin who had preferred a complicated and detailed explanation of everything. 

Ahsoka was glad to see that hadn’t changed. But she sensed something else in Kenobi’s tone, as if he was hiding something from her. 

“Hiding from what, you are one of the most powerful Jedi left alive. You don’t need to hide from anyone.” Ahsoka spoke in concern. Something was severely wrong with Obi-Wan.   
A look of remorse came across Obi-Wan’s face, only serving to further Ahsoka’s concern for the aging Jedi Master. 

“I may be one of the last Ahsoka, but Vader is too strong, even for me.”

Ahsoka halted for a second. Vader? Vader was dead, by her hands. And Obi-Wan didn’t know?

Did he even know Vader’s true identity?

“Obi-Wan, you do know who Vader is right?” Ahsoka whispered, clutching her grandmaster tighter. 

Pain covered Obi-Wan’s face. “Yes my dear, I do. And I’m so sorry. I tried, really I did. But I couldn’t bring myself to…” Kenobi stopped. Ahsoka understood. Obi-Wan had trained Anakin. To see him turn to the darkside, and be forced to face him had haunted Ahsoka ever since Malachor. She imagined if the roles were reversed and she had turned, Anakin would have had a nightmare of a time dealing with it. 

Clearly Obi-Wan had been, hence his disappearance to the deserts of Tatooine. 

“Did he hurt you Ahsoka? Are you ok?” Obi-Wan looked her directly in the eyes, worry and concern present, as well as a level of seriousness. 

She had to tell him the truth about what had happened, about how she had…

“Obi-Wan, Vader is dead.”

A look of shock came across Kenobi’s face, as well as remorse and regret. 

“How?” The human asked.

“I faced him on Malachor and was able to disarm him. I had a choice. Let him live, or kill him and save others from his wrath. I choose to kill him there and then.” Ahsoka replied. She had accepted what she had done, but that didn’t mean it hurt any less over time. She would never regret it, but she would also never forgive herself for killing her master.   
Obi-Wan nodded twice, as if coming to terms with what she had done. Then he spoke. 

“I’m sorry you had to do it Ahsoka, it should have been me, but I let my emotions get the better of me.”

Ahsoka didn’t know what he was talking about. Had he faced Vader before her and had the same opportunity?

Truthfully, Ahsoka didn’t want to know, nor did she wish to put any more emotional strain on her old friend by revisiting past regrets.   
What was done was done. And Vader could no longer harm anyone. 

Something stirred nearby, and a grunt of discomfort, as well as a yawn, echoed lightly across from the camp Obi-Wan had put together. 

Ahsoka released Obi-Wan quickly, the older man returning to his position beside the fire, as Ahsoka moved over to help Rex sit up. 

When Rex had settled into a sitting position beside Ahsoka, he turned to her. 

“Hey Commander, sorry for napping.”

Ahsoka chuckled under her breath lightly. Even hurt, Rex found humour in the situation. 

“No problem Rex. Glad you’re alright.”

Rex smiled at his friend, before surveying his surroundings. Ahsoka waited for his hazel eyes to lock on Obi-Wan. 

Clearly he didn’t recognize him, at least no until the older man spoke. 

“It’s good to see you again captain. Thank you for keeping Ahsoka safe.” Obi-Wan spoke. Rex’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, recognition flooding through him. 

“General Kenobi?” Rex’s voice was full of awe and shock, as well as relief at the sudden appearance of the Jedi Master. 

“Not a general anymore captain, just Obi-Wan will do. Or Ben if you prefer.” Kenobi spoke, a kindly smile coming to his face as he prodded the fire again with his stick, moving some of the wood around. The fire brightened significantly, heat crashing over Ahsoka and Rex in waves. 

Rex quickly snapped out of his surprise, his face becoming serious. 

“With all due respect Master Kenobi, you will always be a general to me. And to be fair, Ahsoka is the one that keeps me safe. She keeps all of us safe.”

Obi-Wan nodded in respect. “So it seems. You have grown strong in the ways of the force young one. I’m so proud of you.” Obi-Wan addressed Ahsoka, happiness and contempt at seeing something go right for once. 

Ahsoka blushed lightly, bowing her head in a sign of respect. Ahsoka may have no longer considered herself a Jedi, but she respected Obi-Wan.

Silence briefly came over the trio. Rex shifted to get into a more comfortable position, reaching down to pick up his discarded chest armour piece that Obi-Wan had removed to place the bandage. 

Ahsoka meanwhile listened to the force. It was strangely quite for once. The lightside reverberated slightly, mostly coming off of Obi-Wan. 

And the darkside seemed dormant. No sign of any manipulations by Sidious. No machinations by Maul. 

Maul! The thought suddenly returned to her. Maul was somewhere nearby. 

And he was hunting Obi-Wan, it all made sense now!

Maul had a grudge against Obi-Wan since Naboo. And now he was looking to finish the job. 

And Obi-Wan was completely oblivious to it. 

“Obi-Wan, I need to tell you something. You are in terrible danger. Someone is hunting you!” Ahsoka spoke quickly. Beside her, Rex snapped to attention as well, clearly remembering why they were on Tatooine in the first place. 

Obi-Wan’s face scrunched up briefly in caution, before taking a resigned appearance. “Maul, I know.”

Ahsoka leaned back in surprise. How did he know it was Maul? Had he already found him? Was Maul dead?

“What? How did you know?” Rex asked, equally surprised by the sudden turn of events. 

A look of mischief and dry wit appeared on Obi-Wan’s face for a brief instance. 

“He had been here for months, searching for me. I’ve tried to avoid him, to avoid any unnecessary conflict between us. But now I fear it may be too late.”

Obi-Wan and Maul had a past shrouded in hatred and loss. Both had taken things from the other one, things that had been vitally important to their lives. 

And while it seemed Obi-Wan was at peace with the past between them, it appeared Maul was not. 

“Are you going to kill him?” Ahsoka inquired genuinely. After what she had seen of Maul at Malachor, after she had worked with him, Ahsoka hoped that it wouldn’t have to end that way.

“If he refuses to stand down, I will.” Kenobi replied, the edge of seriousness returning. 

It was almost as if Obi-Wan was on a mission of some kind. 

Ahsoka hesitated for a brief second. If she could get Maul to understand everything, she might be able to save him from his madness, despite everything he had done. 

She had failed Anakin, not even trying to redeem him. 

The least she could do was try with Maul. 

“Obi-Wan, I’m not so sure. I encountered him on Malachor. We faced Vader together. I think he just needs to understand…” Ahsoka stopped halfway through her sentence, unsure of how to continue. 

She didn’t exactly like Maul. He was a horrible being, who had committed murder. 

But he was also like her, a cast out vagabond. A nomad. 

A loner. 

Ahsoka found she had some sympathy for him. 

“Ahsoka, Maul is dangerous. If he forces my hand, I will have to kill him. Your compassion has always been your strongest aspect young one, but you must be cautious. Take heed, not everyone can be trusted, and some, like Maul will exploit that.” Obi-Wan spoke softly from his position. It was as if she was back in the temple during the days of the republic, listening to Obi-Wan offering advice to her or Anakin. 

“He used me to find you. He knew that you would come if I was around. I lured him too you!” Ahsoka came to the realization. She had been used, again. 

Ahsoka was growing tired of people trying to use her for their own schemes. Just once, couldn’t she be her own person. 

“Yes. Maul used your connection to me as a means of luring me out, just as he used his connection to you via the Sith holocron the two of you recovered to lure you here.” Obi-Wan continued. 

Ahsoka’s mind briefly shifted to the holocron. How did Obi-Wan know about it?

Then it occurred to her. He was the once that saved her from the Eighth Brother, who had taken the holocron for himself. 

Ahsoka could only dread to think what the former Inquisitor would do with it in his possession. 

“I’m sorry Obi-Wan. I never meant for this to happen.” Ahsoka looked up at the old master, regret at her own naivety present in her eyes. Beside her, Rex laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

“You needn’t worry Ahsoka. He was bound to find me sooner or later. At least this way I got to see you again.” Obi-Wan’s eyes radiated nothing by compassion and love. He was just as pleased to see her as she was him. 

“So, this has ultimately been a waste of time then, despite this reunion?” Rex chose to join the discussion again. He hadn’t meant to sound harsh, and both Ahsoka and Obi-Wan knew that. Rex was merely acting the soldier he was, judging the situation by how useful the outcome was. The knowledge that Obi-Wan was alive was of personal interest to both Ahsoka and Rex, but did little to help their campaign against the empire. 

A grim look overtook Kenobi’s face. 

“Yes, aside from our pleasant reunion, the only person to have gained anything from all of this is…”

“Me!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say really, other than sorry for the super evil cliffhanger.  
> Although, it is time to place your bets.   
> Will Maul live?  
> Or will he die?  
> What do you think?  
> As usual, comment and speculate at will.   
> Till next time.


	12. Old Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which two old adversaries come face to face one again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment you have all be waiting for... the fate of Maul.

“…the only person to have gained anything from all of this is…”

“Me!”

Ahsoka’s entire body pivoted quickly, her form rising to her feat in trepidation. Beside her, Rex did the same, blaster in hand. 

In contrast, Obi-Wan remained seated.

At the edge of the camp, covered in sand and dust, was Maul. 

He looked different than on Malachor. Older in a way. And he was tired, exhausted even. Ahsoka could tell from the way he balanced himself on his metal legs. It was as if he was using all his strength not to collapse there and then. 

His eyes however remained focused on one thing alone. They burned bright gold as they stared at Obi-Wan, hatred and disgust evident. 

“Found you, at long last!” The former Sith Lord snarled, taking a step towards Obi-Wan. 

“Hello there!” Obi-Wan replied, almost too cheerfully in Ahsoka’s opinion. 

The Zabrak hissed between his teeth, before his eyes shifted to lock onto Ahsoka’s. 

His expression changed in an instant. Less hostility was present. Instead, mutual respect, as well as obvious deviousness was present. 

“Thank you Lady Tano, for luring this scum out. Now we can dispose of another person who betrayed you together!” Maul spoke, a sinister smile on his lips. 

Confusion flooded through Ahsoka. What was Maul up to this time? And what did he mean by Obi-Wan betraying her?

“What?” It was Rex that spoke, equally confused. Maul spared a glimpse at the old clone beside Ahsoka, before shifting his attention back to the Togruta woman. 

“Kenobi abandoned you, left you to run this rebellion, to deal with the Sith while he hides on this dump of a planet. And it’s not the first time he has abandoned you is it Lady Tano?”

It was obvious to Ahsoka that Maul was referring to her trial, to when she left the Jedi order. But she had long forgiven Obi-Wan for not helping. At least, unlike Anakin, he hadn’t made her false promises. 

“Maul, you don’t need to do this. You have taken enough from him. Let it go.” Ahsoka tried to reason with the Zabrak. If she could just get him to listen to her…

Maul snarled, and continued to speak. 

“Ask yourself Lady Tano, why is he here? One of the most respected Jedi masters, and he is hiding away. Is he truly worth the effort to save? Would anyone truly miss him?”

By this point, Obi-Wan had risen to his feet, but made no move to arm himself, unlike Maul, who had his lightsaber hilt in his hand. 

But he had not yet activated the blade, which was something at least.

“Your anger, your hatred for me clouds your judgement Maul. We do not need to fight.” Obi-Wan took the opportunity to speak up. Ahsoka could feel through the force that Obi-Wan was telling the truth. He really didn’t want to fight Maul.

Maul scoffed aloud, his presence in the force darkening significantly. The Zabrak turned his attention again to Ahsoka. 

“How can you stand his pontificating Lady Tano?” 

“Maul, don’t.” Ahsoka replied. It was clear he was trying to get a rise from the Jedi master. 

“Ask him Ahsoka. Ask him why he is here, festering in his squalor.” Maul began to walk around the group, as if corralling them into a pen, ensnaring them in a trap. 

To be truthful, Ahsoka had wondered such. Why was Obi-Wan here?

So she asked him. 

“I told you Ahsoka, to hide from the empire.” Obi-Wan responded kindly, still at ease despite the situation. 

Behind her, Maul cackled, not too dissimilar to how Sidious had. 

“The Great Obi-Wan Kenobi, hiding? He lies Lady Tano, just like the rest of the Jedi!” The Zabrak snarled, igniting his saber in anger. 

Rex bristled, raising his blaster at the Zabrak. He didn’t fire however, knowing what would happen if he did. 

Ahsoka was growing tense as well. She hadn’t reached for her sabers yet, but she was ready, in case. 

“Why are you here Kenobi?! Tell the truth for once in your worthless life!” Maul all but shouted at older human. Obi-Wan however remained silent, his face still, expression empty.

Maul’s face was quite the opposite. A myriad of emotions covered it. Anger, hatred, intrigue. 

And then realization. 

“Ohhhhh, you are not hiding, you have a purpose here.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Ahsoka noticed Obi-Wan bristle slightly. 

“Perhaps you are protecting something?” Maul continued to jibe at Kenobi, figuring something out that Ahsoka had not.

Obi-Wan’s signature in the force flared up, long dormant emotions coming through his connection to Ahsoka. 

His posture changed too. For the first time since reuniting with him, Obi-Wan was tense. 

And it was because of whatever Maul was figuring out.

“Or protecting someone?”

Ahsoka was about to ask what Maul what he was going on about, when a snap hiss sound filled her montrals. 

Obi-Wan was bathed in bright blue light. In his hand, his lightsaber was ignited. 

A smirk covered Maul’s face, as he dropped into a ready stance. 

“Obi-Wan, what are you doing?” Ahsoka asked, surprised at Kenobi’s sudden change. Through the force, Ahsoka felt a fierce desire to protect someone emanating from Obi-Wan, but who? 

“See Lady Tano, he is hiding something from you, like all the rest.” Maul jibed in, appealing to Ahsoka’s shock at the situation. 

“Stay out of this Ahsoka.” Obi-Wan spoke harshly. Ahsoka widened her eyes. 

“Or don’t. Come Ahsoka, who truly is worth your time here. The one who helped you defeat Vader, or the one who hides on this dust ball, and keeps secrets from his so called friends!”

“Leave her out of this Maul!” Kenobi snarled back. 

Ahsoka was confused. On one side, Maul was right. Obi-Wan was hiding something important. Vitally important if he was willing to kill for it. 

‘Would he try to kill me if I had discovered whatever it is Maul has figured out?’ Ahsoka’s mind whirled. 

But on the other side, Maul was a crazy, sadistic psychopath, and he couldn’t be trusted. 

But at the same time, he had proven he could be trusted. He hadn’t tried to harm her at all on Malachor, nor afterwards. 

And Obi-Wan had hidden away, and was keeping secrets from her, again. 

Ahsoka broke out of her thought process in time to see Obi-Wan and Maul preparing to square off. Off to the side, Rex stood, waiting in case, unsure of what to do.

Ahsoka couldn’t let Maul kill Obi-Wan, that much was certain. 

But at the same time, she couldn’t let Obi-Wan kill Maul, which he would. 

The two arch nemesis stood for several seconds, staring at one another, waiting for the other to strike first.

“Maul don’t!” Ahsoka called out. After all they had done, she couldn’t let him die like this. 

“Stay out of this Lady Tano, as your master said!” The Zabrak snarled at her. Deep within Ahsoka, anger built up. 

She turned her attention to Obi-Wan. “Master, there has to be another way. Don’t harm him!” 

Obi-Wan didn’t even spare her a glance, too focused on Maul. 

She was being ignored by both parties. And her anger was growing. 

Beside her, Rex grew concerned. He had seen this happen to his oldest friend before.

Maul was growing restless. It was clear that he would strike first, and in doing so, Obi-Wan would strike him down. 

Seconds later, Maul roared, and charged, swinging his saber at Kenobi. 

Ahsoka reacted instantly. 

“NO!

Nobody saw Ahsoka move, she was that fast. 

Maul brought his blade down, intending on catching Kenobi’s blade in a lock. Instead, he was met with a white blade, pushing back against him. Shock flowed through the Zabrak.   
Likewise, Obi-Wan had expected to clash with Maul’s crimson blade, but he too was now locked with a white blade. 

Between the two age old enemies, Ahsoka stood, her lightsabers ignited, pushing against both of them, stopping them from killing the other. 

Off to the side, Rex watched in horror as Ahsoka’s eyes flickered between blue and gold. 

“No!” Ahsoka spoke more calmly this time, rather than the full on scream from before. 

Maul tried to push her back, to remove her from his path, but Ahsoka did not relent, turning her face to his, barring her fangs.

“STOP PROTECTING HIM!” Maul all but screeched at her, pulling back from the lock and attempting another swing. Once again however, Ahsoka interrupted the blow with her own lightsaber. 

Behind her, Obi-Wan attempted to evade to the side, trying to catch Maul why he was distracted by Ahsoka. It was clear now that Obi-Wan was out to kill Maul. 

Ahsoka didn’t let him. Like Maul, she pivoted, swinging her shoto to clash with Kenobi’s. A look of surprise, as well as betrayal covered the old Jedi’s face. 

“Ahsoka, what are you doing?” Obi-Wan asked astonished at the Togruta’s actions. Why was she defending Maul?

“Stopping both of you making a huge mistake!” Ahsoka snarled, looking poignantly at them both. 

“MISTAKE?! HE HAS TAKEN EVERYTHING FROM ME!” Maul yelled, again trying to bring his saber round Ahsoka’s form. 

Again, Ahsoka blocked his attack, her own anger growing.

“And you took his master from him Maul, and the woman he loved. I think you are even.” Ahsoka replied, pushing against Maul lightly, trying to get him to back away. She wasn’t going to harm him, nor Obi-Wan. She just had to get them both to listen. 

Maul roared in anger, spinning his saber in his hands, purposefully aiming strikes directly at Ahsoka. 

For the first time since Mandalore, Maul was actively attacking her. 

She evaded around him, flowing like water down a stream. They clashed blades, deflecting blows and redirecting others. 

“He is going to kill me for what I know Lady Tano, tell me, what will he do to you when you figure it out huh?” The Zabrak spat, sending another volley of strikes towards Ahsoka.

It was a good question. If Obi-Wan was willing to kill Maul in order to keep whatever secret it was safe, would he do the same to her?

She wasn’t a Jedi after all, and it wouldn’t be the first time he had betrayed her. 

Ahsoka sensed movement behind her. Obi-Wan was attempting to join the fight, to assist her with Maul. 

She didn’t let him. Pushing against Maul’s blades, she forced him back stumbling, before turning to the elder Jedi master, and unleashing a force push at him.

It caught Kenobi by surprise, as he fell backwards, rolling in the sand. 

Ahsoka turned in time to lock blades with Maul once more. 

“Damn it Maul, come to your senses! This is pointless! What will you gain from this? Your death, that’s it!” Ahsoka tried desperately to appeal to Maul. She wanted him to live, or at least not go down like this. 

“I am tired Lady Tano! Tired of being used. Tired of being discarded. Perhaps I seek my death as an escape from this cruel existence!”

Ahsoka felt remorse coming off of her. She should have seen it. Maul was heavily depressed. Everything he was supposed to be had been stripped from him. Some by Obi-Wan, some by Sidious. 

She would willingly let him kill Sidious, but Obi-Wan, he had to live. 

Obi-Wan had regained his footing by now, and was standing behind Ahsoka, saber igniting, but not making any move to interfere. 

“We were all used Maul, you, me, Obi-Wan. Each of us was used and discarded when we no longer had value. We have more in common than you realize.”

Maul snarled again, spitting as he spoke. “I have nothing in common with you Jedi filth!”

Ahsoka’s face softened, compassion coming through in her tone. 

“Yes you do. We are all lost in our own way. We all seek to find our purpose in this new world. If you die, all of your struggles were for nothing. But if you live, you can find your purpose. I will help you find your purpose.”

Maul’s face was a myriad of emotions. Anger, hate, regret, and strangely, fear. 

Behind her, Obi-Wan extinguished his lightsaber. 

Ahsoka sent an appreciative thought through their bond in the force, one Obi-Wan reciprocated. 

He understood what Ahsoka was trying to say. 

Maul’s eyes locked on Ahsoka’s.

“You… you would help me, after everything I have done. You would be my sister in the force?”

Ahsoka was taken aback by Maul’s speech. It was quite, somewhat shy and repressive. He was scared, he had always been scared. 

And he needed someone to keep him stable. 

“You have my word.” Ahsoka replied, pulling out of the saber lock, extinguishing her lightsabers. 

Maul looked at her for a brief second, before shutting his blade off and collapsing onto the sand before him, sobs echoing from his form. 

Ahsoka reacting instinctively, crouching down and wrapping her arms around the Zabrak in comfort. 

“It’ll be ok Maul. I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Maul lives this time. Hope that's ok. :)  
> I do hope you enjoyed this confrontation, and that it was worth the wait. I ended up planning many different variations of this conflict when planning this story, all with different outcomes. In one, Maul died as he did in canon. In another, Obi-Wan died instead. A third one had both survive, (which was the one I went with). The fourth had Ahsoka accidently kill Obi-Wan when trying to intervene, and then turn and kill Maul in rage. And a fifth one, and one I very nearly went with, had both Maul and Obi-Wan deliver fatal blows to one another at the same time.  
> As usual, comment and speculate at will. I am quite pleased with how these past two chapters turned out and would like the here your thoughts on them.


	13. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Obi-Wan makes a startling revelation.  
> And Maul attempts to tackle an impossible feat... small talk!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After the last tense chapter, I bet you were expecting a nice relaxing one.   
> Well think again!

Silence had fallen over the camp on Tatooine, silence, aside from the crackling of the fire. 

Maul had remained collapsed on the floor for a good while, whimpering to himself. Ahsoka had stayed by his side throughout it, offering comfort and support. 

Obi-Wan and Rex had taken their seats by the fire again, not wanting to interfere. To them, Ahsoka had somehow achieved the impossible. She had gotten Maul to stand down. 

Shortly afterwards, Maul had risen with renewed spirit and vigour, before stating that he had a ship nearby, and promptly leaving to collect it and return. 

Rex had accompanied him for some reason, the two unlikely comrades disappearing into the dark of the night. 

That left Ahsoka with Obi-Wan, who had said nothing since the small skirmish. 

The older man simply returned to prodding the fire before them, whilst mulling something over in his head. 

Ahsoka was content to let him do so. Obi-Wan had been through a lot, she didn’t want to put any more stress on his head. 

And whatever reason he was on Tatooine was clearly important, Ahsoka could tell. She would not pressure him to tell her. If he did, it would be his own choice. 

Across from her, Obi-Wan released a sad sigh, lifting his head up to look at Ahsoka. 

She had changed so much since the Clone Wars. She was taller now, and stronger too, not just physically, but in the force. Her presence was clouded by both the light and the dark, yet she remained constant in her beliefs. 

She was everything that the Jedi were not. And that was why they had failed. 

“It’s Anakin’s son. I’m protecting Anakin’s son.” 

Ahsoka’s mind went into overdrive. ‘Anakin had a son? Since when?’

“What?!” Ahsoka exclaimed at Obi-Wan’s revelation. Obi-Wan’s expression was one of guilt and remorse once again. 

“At the end, Padme was pregnant. I’m sure you knew about their relationship.” Kenobi responded dryly.

Ahsoka had known, after al it was Anakin’s worst kept secret. 

And Ahsoka knew that Padme had died at the end of the republic. 

And with Anakin falling to the darkside…

“So you took him here, to protect him?” Ahsoka asked kindly. 

“Yes, he’s with his family. I keep watch, in case the empire comes for him.”

Ahsoka would believe it. He had seen what the Inquisitors could do. How they would capture force sensitive children to experiment on. 

And she wouldn’t allow it. And neither would Obi-Wan. 

“I thought you should know. You were closer to him than I in the end. It’s only right.” Obi-Wan muttered. 

Ahsoka nodded calmly, ignoring the part of her telling herself that she had killed Anakin herself. 

“What’s his name?” Ahsoka inquired. She couldn’t resist. 

“Luke. His name is Luke. Padme chose it before…”

Obi-Wan didn’t continue, he didn’t need to. Ahsoka understood. 

Silence fell over the camp again for a brief moment, both individuals mulling over the revelation differently. Then Ahsoka spoke up again. 

“Do you intend to train him to be a Jedi?” 

Obi-Wan looked up at her. “That was the plan. When he was ready, train him to defeat the Sith.”

“And if he refused?” Ahsoka asked. She dreaded the answer. 

“He can’t Ahsoka. He is the chosen one. He will help us defeat the Sith."

Ahsoka resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The last time a ‘chosen one’ prophecy had emerged it went catastrophically wrong. Why was Obi-Wan willing to put all his hope on one individual?

“Obi-Wan I’m not sure it’s wise to wait. If we get the chance to deal with Sidious I will take it, regardless of chosen one status or not.” Ahsoka replied simply. She wasn’t willing to leave things to fate, not anymore. 

“I know, but we agreed on the plan to keep them safe.” 

Ahsoka did another double take. Who was them? And who was we?

“Obi-Wan, what aren’t you telling me?”

Guilt rushed over Obi-Wan’s face. His blue eyes bore into Ahsoka’s sole, begging for forgiveness. 

“Padme, she had twins Ahsoka. A son and a daughter.”

Ahsoka leaned back horrified. This was too much for her to cope with. Finding out that her master had not only a son, but a daughter too.

“Who else knows?” Ahsoka breathed in deeply as she spoke, the shock of the discovery covering her completely. 

“Only Master Yoda and Senator Organa.”

Ahsoka glossed over the mention of Yoda. Bail knew! He knew and hadn’t said anything to her!

Suddenly, all of the strings came pulling together in her mind. Anakin’s daughter… it couldn’t be? 

“What’s her name Obi-Wan?”

“Leia. Her name is Leia.”

**********************************************************************************

The Nightbrother, a gauntlet class Mandalorian fighter, was Maul’s personal ship. It was fast and agile, possessing weapons of the highest grade.

And right now, Maul was seated in the pilot seat, prepping the engines for flight. 

Beside him, sat a clone. 

He may have been a clone of several billion, but Maul never forgot a face. 

“You were on Mandalore weren’t you, at the end.” It was a rare day when Maul tried to make small talk to anyone. But if he was going to find his true path in life, some things had to change. 

So he tried to at the very least, start up a conversation with Lady Tano’s friend. 

“I was. Why?” The clone, Rex was his name if he was not mistaken, responded, clearly not interested in small talk with him. 

Maul pushed on. “You fought well that day, despite the situation. You still follow Lady Tano around?”

Rex’s head moved swiftly, eyes narrowing at Maul. Maul simply stared back. 

“I follow my friend around. You do anything to harm her and I will…”

Maul chuckled at the obvious threat. He knew it was an empty and idle threat, what could the clone do against him? 

But he would humour the clone nonetheless. 

“I will do nothing to harm her, you needn’t worry.”

Rex seemed to like his answer, as the old clone nodded, before settling himself into the seat. 

Maul reached his hands out, grasping the controls, before lifting off and directing the Nightbrother back to pick up Ahsoka. 

“Besides, if you do hurt her, I’m the least of your worries.” Rex chimed in, with a strangely humorous tone. Who knew clones had a sense of humour.

“That I can believe captain.” Maul responded. 

The two settled into a content silence, despite their past conflicts with one another. 

It wouldn’t be long before they got to Lady Tano. Hopefully she was having an equally peaceful time with Kenobi.

*************************************************************************************

Ahsoka felt herself go numb. She didn’t even realize she had gotten to her feet, let alone marched away from Obi-Wan. Her only thought was of the secret that had been kept from her by Bail. 

Surely she deserved to know the truth about Leia’s parentage. They had worked together for over a decade now, and Ahsoka had been as close to Padme as Bail had been. Surely that merited some level of trust. 

“Ahsoka, I know you’re angry but stop. Listen to me!” Obi-Wan had followed her as she strode off, trying to bring her back into the surrounding warmth of the fire. 

That snapped Ahsoka out of her daze. She span with frightening velocity, marching up the Obi-Wan and meeting his eyes. 

“Angry? More like infuriated! Didn’t I deserve to know of all people? Bail’s let me socialize and help that girl out without telling me who she really is!” Ahsoka all but yelled at her grandmaster. 

Obi-Wan stood there taking Ahsoka’s anger in good stride. He understood that she needed to vent to someone. 

“Then talk to him about it. Ask him why. But Ahsoka, do not do something you will regret. Bail is protecting that girl from the empire.” Obi-Wan spoke sympathetically, laying hand on her shoulder. 

The Togruta breathed in gently, her volatile presence in the force smoothly slightly. 

“I killed her father Obi-Wan. I don’t know if I can face her, or him anymore, knowing that.” Ahsoka muttered. Obi-Wan responded by wrapping her in an embrace, pulling her tightly to him. 

“Ahsoka, Anakin died a long time ago because of Sidious. You didn’t kill Leia’s father, Vader did. You did the right thing.”

Ever since Malachor, she wanted someone to say that to her. Sure, Rex and the others had told her that too, but they hadn’t known Anakin the way Obi-Wan had. If he said it was the right thing to do, she would believe him. 

“Let go of your guilt young one.”

So she did. She let go of all of the negative emotions she had been since Malachor. She let go of the what ifs, let go of any real connection to Anakin Skywalker. 

He was no longer worth thinking about. But his children were. 

No, Padme’s children were. 

“I’ll keep their existence a secret Obi-Wan, from everyone. But I still need to talk to Bail about it.” Ahsoka stepped back out of Kenobi’s embrace, nodding her head resolutely. 

“Rightfully so, just remember that he is protecting her from the empire. Don’t do anything to jeopardise that.” Obi-Wan responded in a strangely stern manner. Years on Tatooine had made him devout in his protection of Luke, Ahsoka could tell. 

“No promises.” Ahsoka replied truthfully. She wouldn’t let her anger override her rational thought again, but she still intended to confront the Senator from Alderaan about the deception. 

A loud sound suddenly filled Ahsoka’s montrals. She turned in time to see a large red painted Mandalorian fighter land before herself and Obi-Wan. As the ship settled, a back ramp emerged, and Rex walked down it towards the two. 

“We are good to go, however Maul didn’t want to come out and say bye.” Rex replied dryly. 

“Shocking that.” Kenobi’s dry wit once again shone through. 

The three stood in silence for several seconds, waiting for someone else to talk. The situation was unnecessarily awkward. 

But then, in their position, Ahsoka would be surprised if they could go back to the way they use to be. 

Rex broke the silence first, snapping into a salute aimed at Kenobi. 

“I’m glad you’re still alive General. I’d ask you to come with us, but I get the feeling that you need to stay here.”

Obi-Wan nodded in reply, reaching his hand out in gesture. He had never been a big fan of salutes. 

“Indeed captain,” Obi-Wan spoke kindly as he and Rex shook hands, “I’m glad to see you survived. Look after Ahsoka for me would you?” 

That was the second time Obi-Wan had made that comment. Despite everything, he was still clearly concerned about Ahsoka’s wellbeing.

Not that Rex could blame him. His friends use of the Sith holocron had a detrimental effect on her. At least now it was no longer in her possession. 

“With all due respect General, she looks after us.”

With that, Rex turned away from Kenobi, nodding briefly at Ahsoka, and heading back inside Maul’s ship. 

Ahsoka was once again left alone with Kenobi, and this time she initiated the hug. Pulling the aging man into her arms, she squeezed, just to make sure he was real and she had not dreamt this whole exchange. 

When she had confirmed he was real, she pulled out of the hug and stepped back to get one last look at him. 

He was older, with wrinkles and white hair. 

But he was still Obi-Wan Kenobi, master of the Jedi Order. 

And her friend, one that had not betrayed her. 

For the first time in a longer time, Ahsoka bowed. “May the force be with you Master Kenobi.”

Obi-Wan reciprocated the gesture. “You too Knight Tano.”

Ahsoka ignored the designation she had been given by Kenobi. She was proud of her lack of affiliation, even if she still helped and supported other Jedi. 

Kanan! Ezra! That reminded her. She had sensed their panic through the force. They were in trouble. 

Turning she ran to the ships ramp, stopping at the base briefly to glance back at Obi-Wan one last time. 

They locked eyes, before smiling. 

‘Go young one. Help your friends.’ Obi-Wan spoke to her though the force, offering support and love. 

So she did, boarding the ship completely and closing the ramp behind her, before heading to the bridge where Maul was no doubt waiting. 

**********************************************************************************

As the Mandalorian fighter lifted off, Obi-Wan Kenobi returned to his fireplace. 

It was good to know that Ahsoka was still alive. It made all he had lost worth it in the end. If just one survived, he would have succeeded in his task.

Delving deep into the force, Obi-Wan reached out for Luke’s presence, in a bond the young boy had yet to discover. 

Warmth and happiness, surrounding by the energy of the lightside flowed through the bond. 

The boy was happy. 

And for the first time in sixteen years, so was Obi-Wan.

*********************************************************************

“Didn’t want to come and say bye to Obi-Wan?”

“Are you kidding me? I may be wanting to find a new path for myself Lady Tano, but I still loathe that man!”

Ahsoka laughed, surprising both herself and Rex. She and Maul had created a strange bond on Malachor. One fuelled by jabs and insults, as well as sarcasm. But beneath it, one of mutual respect and understanding, as well as a desire to help one another. 

Never in a million years did Ahsoka ever think that she would consider Maul a friend.

Maul sighed dramatically, piloting the Nightbrother out of Tatooine’s orbit.

“Does your offer still stand?” Maul spoke with sincerity. 

“What offer?” Ahsoka enquired confused. “The one to help you find your own path?”

Maul shook his head. “No, the one about joining your rebellion. You made it on Malachor, albeit as a joke.” 

Ahsoka reared back in the co-pilot seat, surprise filling her. 

Maul was willing to help the rebellion? To join an organized resistance against the empire? To not be a nomadic wanderer anymore?

Maul was the last person she expected to join the rebellion willingly. Sure, they had a common goal in mind, and had fought beside each other before, but to allow him to officially join their ranks. 

‘What rank would we give him anyway? Private Maul, I doubt he’d like that very much.’ Ahsoka humorously thought in her mind. 

However, Maul was a valuable ally. If he wanted to help, she would let him. 

“Yes.” 

Through the force, Ahsoka felt Maul’s surprise at the acknowledgement. He hadn’t been expecting that answer. 

Yet today had been a day full of unexpected questions and answers. 

“Thank you Ahsoka.” Maul replied, turning to look at her with a rare smile on his face. Not a creepy manipulative smile that was the Zabrak’s forte, but one of acceptance and peace. 

“So, where is your rebel base then? I can’t wait to meet everyone.” The sarcasm returned in an instant. Maul was back to being Maul. 

And Ahsoka was glad. 

She reached over to the hyperdrive, inputting the coordinates for Atollon. 

Seconds later, the Nightbrother shot into hyperspace. 

**************************************************************

Clearly, the hyperdrive on the Nightbrother was top of the line in terms of quality, as only an hour after departure from Tatooine, Maul informed both Ahsoka and Rex that they were about to drop out of hyperspace above Atollon. 

“We need to get one of these ships! Think Sabine’s family will let us borrow one?” Rex spoke up with enthusiasm at nearly being home, albeit with a former Sith Lord in tow. 

“Well since I am now part of Lady Tano’s rebellion, I guess you will be borrowing this ship frequently huh?” Maul chimed in in his usual manner. 

Whilst the two unexpected allies discussed the schematics and design of Maul’s ship, Ahsoka sat in silence, listening to the force. 

It was unusually quiet. No panic from Ezra or Kanan came through the bonds they shared.

The force was simply quiet. 

That concerned Ahsoka. 

Something was seriously wrong!

Seconds later, the bright blue light that shone through the cockpit window faded, and the Nightbrother came out of hyperspace. 

Ahsoka gasped at the sight before her. 

Atollon was burning, as was the rebel fleet in orbit. 

And the cause of all of this was quickly evident to Ahsoka. 

A fleet of imperial Star Destroyers were also present above Atollon. 

Whilst she and Rex had been off hunting Maul, the empire had found their base. 

Ahsoka’s eyes drifted towards the lead destroyer, an intricate and familiar design on the underside of the capital ship immediately giving away who was leading the assault. 

Thrawn had found them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just want to thank everybody for the positive feedback regarding the last chapter. Like the death of Vader in the first story, I was unsure how well Maul surviving would be taken. I'm glad to see people liked the twist.   
> Anyway, back to Atollon next time for the penultimate chapter.


	14. To Break a Blockade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Siege of Atollon continues.  
> And the inevitable happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just the epilogue left after this. Hope you enjoy.

“Grand Admiral, Governor, a Mandalorian vessel has exited hyperspace behind our blockade!”

Thrawn span from his position on the bridge of the Chimaera, his red eyes glowing brightly, boring holes through the head of the unlucky imperial officer that had revealed the unexpected news. 

“Mandalorian? Sabine Wren maybe?” Pryce spoke in a calculating tone. 

Logically it would make sense, Thrawn thought. However, the rebels had not been able to send out any distress calls. Thrawn had anticipated that, and thus had jammed any outbound transmissions. 

It was more likely that however was piloting the Mandalorian ship had stumbled across them by mere convenience. 

That, or they were rebels returning from a mission. 

Thrawn turned to a nearby comm officer. 

“Hail the Mandalorian vessel.”

**********************************************************************************************

Ahsoka stared in horror out of the cockpit window of the Nightbrother. The imperial fleet had the rebel fleet pinned down, and was cutting them apart slowly and methodically. 

In the distance, a rebel corvette exploded, no doubt killing everyone on board. 

Ahsoka closed her eyes, reaching deep into the force, searching for any trace of her friends. 

The force was clouded. Dark and light intertwined, fear and anger, mixed with despair and loss. 

But there! In the distance! A familiar set of presences!

Ahsoka could feel the signatures of Kanan and Ezra, as well as the other non-force sensitives she considered friends. Hera, Zeb, Kaeden, they were all alive. 

For now!

Ahsoka reopened her eyes in time to see Maul turn to her, a look of concern and surprise on his face.

“Never boring with you is it Lady Tano?”

Ahsoka resisted the urge to smirk. Now was not the time. 

Suddenly, a light began to flicker on the dashboard of the Nightbrother. 

The three occupants turned to look at it in surprise. 

“We are being hailed… by the imperial flagship?” Maul questioned with surprise. 

Ahsoka froze. Why was Thrawn contacting them? Did he know it was her? Was he still out to capture her, hence why he had attacked Atollon? 

The force sang danger to her, a warning against answering. 

But her gut instinct told her to. 

Ahsoka leaned forward out of her seat, despite the background protests of Rex and Maul not to answer, and keyed the comm system. 

A small hologram appeared on the dashboard in front of her, taking the shape of a familiar Chiss Admiral.

For a brief second, Ahsoka could have sworn she saw a look of surprise on Thrawn’s face, as if he had encountered the most unexpected thing in the universe. 

Seconds later, the Admiral had regained his composure, and spoke. 

“Ahsoka Tano, I’m glad you could join us in time to witness my victory this day.”

Ahsoka actively rolled her eyes for all to see before replying. 

“Grand Admiral, sorry I can’t stop to chat but I have some friends I need to rescue.” The Togruta snipped, surprising the Chiss. 

“As rude as ever. Your rebellion ends today Miss Tano. Your base has been destroyed and your fleet is in a hopeless situation. I’d invite you to flee to live to fight another day, but that is not your style is it?” Thrawn continued, trying to intimidate Ahsoka into surrendering. 

“You’re right about that Admiral.” Ahsoka replied, before unceremoniously disconnecting the transmission.

The hologram of Thrawn faded instantly, leaving the three occupants of the Nightbrother in silence once more. 

Ahsoka returned her attention to the battle ranging before her. In the distance, it appeared that the rebellion was still putting up a decent fight, with the majority of their remaining ships converging around the captured imperial carrier. 

Aside from that, they were fighting a losing battle. 

It was then that Ahsoka noted something odd. In the midst of the combat, a single ship remained motionless, yet intact. 

Except it wasn’t motionless. It was moving very slowly towards Thrawn’s Star Destroyer. 

As if it was caught in a tractor beam. 

“Isn’t that the Defender we stole from Thrawn?” Rex asked what Ahsoka was thinking. If it was, then it was clear that the rebels had been using it to their advantage.

And Thrawn had somehow disabled it. 

Ahsoka reached into the force again, trying to identify the pilot. 

Focusing all her energy on the individual, Ahsoka soon identified them. 

“Miara?!” Ahsoka called out to no one. Rex’s head spun in alarm at the revelation. 

Fear filled Ahsoka for a second. What had Miara been doing in the Defender? Why had she been the one to pilot it? Sure, she was a good pilot, but this?

Ahsoka turned to Maul, fire in her eyes. 

“I assume this ship has weapons?”

Maul nodded back, understanding in his golden eyes. 

“Of course. You want me to destroy the tractor beam emitter?” 

Ahsoka nodded, before turning to Rex. 

“Captain, see about patching us in to the rebel’s comm links.”

*************************************************************************************

“Grand Admiral, the Mandalorian ship is moving towards us!” The same imperial officer reported to Thrawn. 

Pryce had retreated back to the holotable in the back of the bridge, leaving Thrawn by himself. 

The Chiss snarled. 

“Tano will do something unexpected. Call the fighter wings back. We must disable her vessel immediately.”

The officer saluted in compliance, before moving back to his station. 

Thrawn turned his gaze back to the window, and the battle outside. 

Tano showing up had not been unexpected. What had been unexpected was her showing up in a Mandalorian ship. 

Still, it mattered little. It was only a matter of time till his victory was complete. 

Nothing, aside from a complete disaster, or a breaking of the ranks, could undermine his success today. 

It was then that Pryce called out to him. 

“Grand Admiral, we have a situation. I think you need to come look at this.”

**************************************************************************************

“We can’t take much more of this!” A voice called out over the comm in panic, before going silent. 

Hera resisted the urge to scream out in frustration. One by one the pilots of Phoenix squadron were being picked off. 

And one by one, the rebel fleet was being obliterated, and their chances of victory decreasing. 

Beside her, Kaeden was gripping the console in despair and terror. Fear for the battle raging around her. Fear for the defeat of the rebellion.

Fear for her sister. 

“Hera, are you still ok?” Kanan’s voice came over the comm link next. The Phantom had been keeping up with the Ghost, assisting in keeping the imperial fighters and bombers away from the rebel capital ship. 

Not that it did a lot of good when the Star Destroyers opened fire. 

“I’m fine Kanan, just focusing.” Hera replied a slight wobble in her normally steady and confident tone. 

Kanan clearly recognized the shift. “Hera, it’s going to be alright.”

If Kanan believed it, them Hera would. Despite everything the Jedi had been through in his life, all of the death and chaos he had experienced, he still had hope.

So Hera would share that hope, even in the direst of circumstances. 

Seconds later, a new yet familiar voice echoed across the comm link, surprising everyone. 

“This is the Nightbrother to the Ghost. Hera is that you?” Captain Rex’s voice was one that many wished to hear during combat. A confident and deadly warrior, who had survived the un-survivable. 

And now he was here to help them.

Before Hera, or anybody else could reply for that matter, Kaeden leaned forward and answered. 

“Rex, is that you? Is Ahsoka with you?” 

Hera resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Could Kaeden been any more obvious?

Or more to the point, could Ahsoka be any denser?

Ahsoka’s voice came through the comm next. “I’m here Kaeden. We’re on our way to free Miara and the Defender from the tractor beam. Hera, can you lock onto the Defender with your magnetic locks?”

“Copy that Fulcrum. Good to have you back with us.” Hera replied, feeling hopeful or the first time since the battle begun. 

Hera pivoted the Ghost, manoeuvring away from the rebel fleet and moving directly towards the motionless Defender. In the distance, Hera could see a Mandalorian vessel of considerable size, and Hera imagined, considerable power. 

What the Twi-lek wouldn’t give to fly such as ship, even once. 

It was then that Hera noticed two more things of considerable noteworthiness. 

Firstly: it appeared that the majority of imperial fighters were moving away from the rebel fleet, instead converging on the incoming Mandalorian vessel. 

Secondly: the remaining imperial Interdictor that had been behind Thrawn’s Star Destroyer was also moving out of position, pursuing the Mandalorian ship also. 

In that moment it was clear to Hera. Someone was disobeying Thrawn’s orders. 

***************************************************************************************

“Admiral Konstantine! What are you doing?!” Thrawn almost shouted, something he did very very rarely, at the readout on the holotable. The human admiral was attempting to pursue Tano with his Interdictor, and in doing so he was exposing the one ship that was ensuring the rebels could not flee. 

If the Interdictor fell…

“I’ve had enough of your games ‘Grand Admiral’.” Konstantine growled back, equally as sarcastic as before. 

Seconds later, the Admiral disconnected the channel, leaving Thrawn to dwell in his thoughts. 

Anger flowed through the Chiss. He knew it was a mistake to bring Konstantine along on this mission, but he had done anyway, in the hope that he would prove useful, and not undermine his entire operation. 

But once again, Konstantine had proven to be detrimental to the empires cause. Once again, he had allowed his arrogance and desire for power and prestige take control.

All Thrawn could do now was watch and hope. 

Surely, Konstantine’s ambition would not lead to ruination. 

Seconds later, the Chimaera shuddered.

****************************************************************************************************

“Ha ha! Got you.” Maul called out in unexpected enthusiasm, surprising Ahsoka. The dish that acted as the emitter for the tractor beam shattered into two, separating from Thrawn’s Star Destroyer and releasing the Defender, and Miara. 

From the corner of her eye, Ahsoka spied the Ghost, with Hera at the helm, flying in, locking onto the Defender and pulling it in. The magnetic clamps seem to be working. 

“Commander, we have a problem!” Rex called out in alarm. Ahsoka turned to the clone to see what was going on. 

On a nearby terminal, Rex had pulled up the fleet positions of the imperial. Single cruiser, an Interdictor by the looks of it, was pursuing them. 

That explained why the rebel fleet hadn’t jumped to hyperspace yet. The Interdictor was preventing them. Which meant they had to destroy it. 

“Maul, lure the Interdictor into the open for the fleet to take it out.”

Maul nodded, focusing on piloting the Nightbrother between various wings of TIE fighters, destroying some in the process.

Ahsoka turned back to the comm link, keying up the signal for the rebel command ship. 

“Commander Sato, this is Commander Tano. We are luring the Interdictor out of its position. Can you take it out?”

Sato’s reply was instantaneous. “I can Fulcrum. The weapons aboard Phoenix Home remain operational. Enough firepower should breach the hull.”

Ahsoka believed Sato. Never had she encountered someone who had Sato’s drive for success before. 

“Target the gravity well generators!” Rex called out from behind her, remembering his previous encounter with such a ship. 

*********************************************************************************

Admiral Kassius Konstantine was tired. 

Tired of dealing with the rebellion. Tired of dealing with the empire. 

Tired of dealing with Thrawn. 

Ever since the Chiss had shown up he had commandeered every single military action. And for some bizarre reason, always seemed to let the rebels escape. All in the name of learning about them.

But Konstantine cared little for learning about his foe. He only wanted to obliterate them and return home. 

Return home, and perhaps return with a bit of glory. 

Clearly, the Mandalorian vessel that had just appeared in system was of importance to Thrawn. 

So if Konstantine could deal with the ship before Thrawn did. 

So he’d given the order to pursue, defence line be damned. 

The rebels were already crippled. They couldn’t stop him now. 

Konstantine watched out of the Interdictor’s bridge as the cruiser pursued the Mandalorian fighter. 

“You’re mine rebel scum!” Konstantine muttered under his breath, as his ship neared the Mandalorian one. 

“Prepare to activate tractor beam.” Konstantine ordered, a vicious smirk coming to his face. When Thrawn and the other imperial leaders saw what he was capable of, Konstantine was sure he would be rewarded. 

It was only a matter of time. 

“Admiral, we have a problem!” An officer called out beside him, pointed up out of the window on the bridge. 

Konstantine shifted his gaze upwards, and froze in horror. 

The rebel command ship, a captured imperial carrier, was moving into position above them, cannons aimed directly at the Interdictor. The vessel may have been top of the line in the experimental division, buts its armour was not intended to withstand barrages from capital ships such as that!

Panic filled the human’s senses. If the cannons landed their shots…

“No! Take evasive action!” Konstantine all but yelled. The various members of the bridge crew ran around in alarm, yelling out orders, trying in vain to move the Interdictor. 

But it was too late. Konstantine turned in time to see the rebel command ship’s weapons fire, releasing a series of blasts, aimed directly at the Interdictor’s gravity well generators.

Seconds later, the Interdictor rumbled and shook, Konstantine falling off his feet from the impact. 

The impact and power of the rebel command ship's weapons caused the hull to rupture, overloading the generators. 

From his position on the floor of the bridge, Konstantine felt a rush of heat. 

Moments later, the heat engulfed him, as well as the bridge of the Interdictor.

*****************************************************************************

Commander Jun Sato watched from the bridge of the Phoenix Home, as the imperial Interdictor imploded, a bright blue light filling up his vision. 

The ship shattered until nothing was left, the resulting shockwave shaking every ship, rebel and imperial alike, around it. 

The trap had worked. Fulcrum had lured the Interdictor into position, and the Phoenix Home had taken it out. Interdictors may have been dangerous, but in a straight up fight…

That meant that they could escape. 

“All ships, charge the hyperdrives and regroup at rally point zeta!” Sato called over the comm, receiving several confirmations seconds later. 

Rally point zeta was their fall-back should the empire ever discover them on Atollon, as they had today. It was out of the way, in a system of no use to anyone. 

A perfect spot to regroup and repair after today’s colossal defeat. 

Sato watched from the bridge, as one by one the remaining rebel ships jumped to hyperspace. In the distance, the Ghost and its partner ship, the Phantom, jumped, closely followed by the Mandalorian vessel. 

Sato allowed a rare smile to come to his face in that moment. At least some had survived.

The smile stayed on Sato’s face as Phoenix Home jumped, the blue vortex of hyperspace filling his vision. 

*****************************************************************************************

Grand Admiral Thrawn watched as the last rebel ship jumped to hyperspace, leaving nothing but the remaining imperial ships in the Atollon system. 

Konstantine’s reckless ambition had cost him the battle. Sure, he had succeeded in driving the rebels from their base. 

But they were still at large. Thrawn’s plan to eradicate the rebellion in one move had failed. 

Because he had had too much faith in Konstantine being able to withhold his overzealous ambition. 

Thrawn would own his mistake, as he always did. 

That did little however to quell his desire to punch something. 

Still, he could not mull in this defeat. He had to report to his emperor. 

“Governor, set course for Coruscant. I need to inform the emperor of what has transpired here this day.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it just me, or is Interdictor armour made of Paper Mache. Seriously, they go down so easily. (handheld blasters in 'Zero Hour'.  
> Also... Sato lives! Yay!  
> And Konstantine does not. Oh well.


	15. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ahsoka reports to Bail what has happened, and what she knows!  
> And Thrawn makes a visit to his Emperor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter.  
> Stayed tuned at the end for my wrap up of this story.

Phoenix Squadron had been practically wiped out in one move. What had once been a small fleet of vessels, accompanied by a large squadron of fighters had been reduced to nothing more than one captured imperial carrier and four fighters. 

Suffice to say, Phoenix Squadron was obliterated. Their only chance now was to join up with another rebel cell. 

So Ahsoka had put in a call to her friend Cassian Andor, and fellow Fulcrum agent. He had been working with the Massassi group for some time, based out in the Yavin system. 

After a brief description of events, Cassian had gone to talk to the leader the Massassi cell, General Jan Dodonna, about integrating what remained of Phoenix Squadron into Dodonna’s cell.  
Ahsoka was hopeful. Dodonna was a pragmatic man, one who she trusted with her life. And he was fully committed to the rebellion. 

So that solved one major problem Ahsoka was facing. Now for the second one. 

The Nightbrother touched down in the hanger bay of the Phoenix Home. Out of the cockpit window she could see the Ghost and Phantom had already docked, their various crew members mingling and chatting. 

Ahsoka allowed a small smile to come to her face. Despite the impossible odds posed by Thrawn’s surprise attack, the family of the Ghost had all survived. 

In a way, she envied them. They had each other. She had lost all those she considered a family. 

All except Rex that was. 

Beside her, Maul sighed. Ahsoka turned her face to look at the Zabrak former Sith.

He looked different now than when she had encountered him on Tatooine. He was no longer fuelled by blood rage, and the desire to kill. Instead, there was a strange look of trepidation, yet peacefulness on his face. 

He was still the same old Maul, Ahsoka could feel that through the force. She doubted he would ever really change his ways. But he was willing to try to be helpful. Willing to put some small amount of faith on her. So Ahsoka would do the same. 

As long as he didn’t go rogue that was. 

“So your rebel friends aren’t going to shoot me on sight are they?” The Zabrak spoke sarcastically. Ahsoka honestly didn’t know the answer to that. She hoped not. 

Ahsoka chose not to reply, merely shrugging her shoulders and standing from her seat to leave the Mandalorian fighter. 

Rex had already departed, leaving to go and meet back up with the Ghost crew. Ahsoka wondered if he had gone ahead to warn the rebels about Maul’s presence. 

Still, there was no use delaying the inevitable any longer. Gesturing with her hand for Maul to follow, Ahsoka exited the Nightbrother, heading down the ramp and towards the rebels. 

The first people to notice her approach were the Larte sisters, who had been wrapped up in an embrace following Miara’s close call. The two human women smiled at her, nodding their heads briefly, before breaking apart from their embrace to approach Ahsoka. 

However, it was Kanan and Ezra that reached her first, sneaking up on Ahsoka as she watched the Larte sisters. 

Ahsoka turned her attention to the master and padawan. A smile was evident on Ezra’s face at seeing Ahsoka in one piece. Ahsoka would never admit it aloud, but she considered Ezra almost like a step-padawan. She may not have been his master, but he had in the past come to her for advice, rather than Kanan.

Ahsoka understood why. She had told Obi-Wan things before that she would never have told Anakin. 

Kanan spoke first. “So, did you find him?”

Ahsoka nodded, stepping to the side as she felt another presence in the force join them. 

“Greetings again Master Jedi and apprentice. It had been a while.” Maul spoke in surprisingly polite tone, lacking the condescending nature he had possessed towards the duo back on Malachor. 

“I wish I could say it was good to see you but…” Kanan spoke next, slight suspicion in his voice. Ahsoka noticed Ezra shrink back slightly behind his master, his posture tense. Ahsoka understood. They had no reason to trust Maul other than his good word. 

“Yes, your injury. How are you coping with it? Being blind would not be a pleasant experience for anyone.” Maul continued, trying to make small talk. Ahsoka almost laughed. Never did he think she would see him trying to make small talk with a Jedi. 

Kanan however clearly understood what Maul was trying to do. “It was hard at first, but I’ve adapted as we all have to.”

Maul nodded in understanding. “Yes, I am personally aware of what it is like to lose a part of oneself.”

Ahsoka turned to leave the trio of unlikely allies. She needed to report what had happened to Senator Organa. And she had a bone to pick with him as well. 

Moving towards the exit of the hanger, Ahsoka briefly stopped by Kallus to check up on how he was doing. The former ISB agent was working with AP5 and Chopper, who was now reactivated thanks to Hera, on dismantling the tracking beacon within the captured Defender. They had managed to salvage what they could of the fighter, allowing them to continue to study it and develop new weapons and technologies from it. 

The fighter itself however was ruined.

Still, it had served its purpose. 

After a brief discussion with Kallus, Ahsoka turned and left the hanger, heading towards some private quarters that had been previously set aside for her by Sato. 

****************************************************************************************

Removing her chest piece and other pieces of armour, Ahsoka settled into a chair near the desk in her room, before keying the transmitter and contacting Bail. 

Whilst the call connected, Ahsoka closed her eyes, delving into the force. 

She had to keep her cool, that was what Obi-Wan had said. Sure, Bail had lied to her, but surely he had a reason… right?

“Ahsoka, good to see what. What’s happened with the Atollon base?” Bail’s voice echoing across the comm as his hologram manifested before her brought her out of her thoughts. Opening her eyes, she locked them with Bail’s. 

“Grand Admiral Thrawn ambushed them on Atollon. Very few survived the battle. We are on route to Yavin now to join up with Dodonna.”

Bail’s face was one of mixed concern and anger. “How bad was it?”

Ahsoka sighed. She hadn’t been present for most of the battle, but from what Kallus had told her it had been bad. 

Very bad.

“The majority of the fleet was wiped out, as well as the fighter squadron. Phoenix Home survived, as did the crew of the Ghost and four members other members of Phoenix Squadron. Everyone else is KIA.” 

Hologram Bail lowered his head in mourning at the lost. It was a major loss to the rebellion, one they would struggle to recover from. 

“What about the prototype Defender you recovered from Lothal?” Bail enquired. 

“We salvaged what we could of it. We should still be able to research it to develop a countermeasure should Thrawn mass produce them.”

Bail nodded. “Good. Then today was not a total loss.”

Ahsoka stayed silent, breaking eye contact briefly with Bail. Maybe not a total loss, but a considerable one regardless. That coupled with what she had discovered.

Unfortunately, Bail noticed her shift in mood. In all the years they had known each other, both Bail and Ahsoka had gotten to understand each other. They could read when the other was upset about something. 

It was what had made them such an effective team.

“Ahsoka, what’s wrong? What aren’t you telling me?”

Ahsoka almost turned that phrase around on the Senator from Alderaan. What was SHE hiding from him?!

“I wasn’t on Atollon when the battle begun.” She spoke simply, preparing herself for the confrontation that was about to happen. 

“Oh. Where were you then?” Bail responded. 

“On Tatooine. Hunting Maul.”

Bail visibly stiffened at the mention of the planet, as if he was hiding something important. And he was, Ahsoka knew that much. 

“Did you find him?” Bail continued carefully, trying not to let anything slip. Even now, he was trying to keep it all a secret from her, and Ahsoka was slowly losing her patience with him. 

She decided to tell him outright. 

“I did, and I found Obi-Wan. He told me everything Bail.”

This time it was Bail that broke eye contact with her. Part of Ahsoka thought he was about to disconnect the call in order to avoid the confrontation. 

Despite being lightyears away from one another, Ahsoka could feel Bail’s discomfort and guilt. 

“Ahsoka I…”  
Ahsoka chose to interrupt him. She wasn’t going to listen to whatever excuse he had. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now. 

“Why Bail? Why didn’t you tell me that Leia was the daughter of my master? You’ve had me look after her on numerous times but you didn’t tell me who she was. Why? Do you not trust me?” Ahsoka was struggling to keep her anger down. She would not shout at Bail. Last time she had lost her cool she had hit Rex. 

“It wasn’t that easy Ahsoka. I didn’t know if I could trust you at first. For all I knew you could have been an agent of Vader.” Ahsoka bristled in anger at the mention of Vader, let alone any suggestion that she would ever work for such a monster. “Over time, it just seemed easier not to tell you. Not to bring you into this whole mess.”

Ahsoka brought her hand down on her desk sharply, a resounded bang echoing throughout the room. 

“Dammit Bail I thought we were friends. But not only did you hide the fact that my master had twins, but you hid the fact that Obi-Wan was still alive as well. What else are you hiding from me Senator?!”

“Nothing Ahsoka, I promise.” Bail replied. But deep inside her, Ahsoka sensed something. There was still something Bail was hiding from her. But this time it was something more personal, and something from the past, the force told her that much.

It was then that Ahsoka understood. He was ashamed of something he had done to her in the past. Something so bad that he was trying to redeem himself in her eyes.

Ahsoka knew in an instant what it was he had done. 

“Bail… please tell me you didn’t?” Ahsoka pleaded with despair. 

Bail looked up at her, his eyes wide with sorrow. 

“I’m sorry Ahsoka. I was wrong, please forgive me.”

“You did, didn’t you? You thought I was guilty!”

Memories from the past flooded Ahsoka, of a trial where she had been wrongly accused of terrorism. 

Of a trial that Bail Organa had been on the jury of Senators. 

And he had thought her guilty. 

It only briefly occurred to her that Mon Mothma was also part of the trial, as was her dear friend Riyo Chuchi. Had they thought her guilty also?

Anger flooded through Ahsoka. How dare Bail think she guilty, then proceed to welcome her into the rebellion. She was again reminded of the half-arsed excused the Jedi council had given her at the end of the trial. Perhaps it was the same for Bail. He knew how strong she was. She would be a valuable addition to the rebellion. He could use her.

Logically, Ahsoka knew that Bail would never act that way towards anyone, but right now, in light of what she had learned from Obi-Wan, how could she trust Bail?

“Ahsoka, I’m sorry. Please I need you to…”

Ahsoka slammed her hand down on the disconnect button, not wanting to hear any more of the Senators pleads. 

As far as she was concerned, he had betrayed her trust in more ways than one. 

Standing from her seat, Ahsoka pushed her chair over, not caring that it fell to the floor with a thud, and made for the exit of her room, not bothering to re-equip he armour. She was too angry to care. She needed to let off some steam. 

So it was of complete surprise to her when the door to her room opened to reveal a red and black horned visage. 

Ahsoka jumped back in shock at Maul’s surprise appearance, a small smile coming to the Zabrak’s face in response.

“I can feel your anger down the hall Lady Tano. Is everything alright?” 

Ahsoka would have to get use to this new Maul. Caring did not suit him. 

Still, at least he was trying, that was something. 

“Yeah, sorry. Just had a bad call with Senator Organa.”

“I see. Well, perhaps some sparing practise will allow you to relieve your anger.”

Ahsoka nodded in acceptance, moving out of her room and falling into step with Maul as they headed for wherever Maul had in mind. 

The two walked in silence, passing by a group of rebel soldiers, even coming into contact with Zeb and Ezra, both of which were trying to brag at who got the most kills in the battle above Atollon.

Ahsoka smirked as they passed, turning down into another empty hallway. 

The Togruta briefly glanced at Maul, trying to read him. Through the force she could feel he was nervous about something. As if he wanted to say something. 

She would wait until he was ready, rather than force it out of him. 

If this partnership was to last, she had to be patient with him. 

Moments later, the Zabrak spoke. 

“Thank you, for this opportunity. I won’t let you down.”

Ahsoka decided not the push it. If that was all he wanted to say, so be it. She was content with that. 

“No problem Maul.”

To two settled into silence again as they walked the halls of Phoenix Home, both lost in their own thoughts. 

Moments later, Maul spoke again. 

“The Sith holocron, what happened to it?”

Ahsoka froze. ‘Kriff.’ She thought, she had completely forgotten about it, as well as the Eighth Brother’s unexpected appearance. 

The former Inquisitor was now in possession of one of the most dangerous and powerful artefacts in the galaxy. Whatever he did with it could very well determine the future of the galaxy.

Would he use it for his own devices? Or worse, would be give it to the emperor in exchange for a place by his side?

Whatever the outcome, Ahsoka knew that it would be a serious problem in the future for her. 

She could only hope the Eighth Brother did not do something foolish with such power.

******************************************************************************************************

The Lambda class shuttle touched down on a landing pad at the imperial palace on Coruscant. It was night time in the imperial capital, but that didn’t stop the people of the planet. The neon lights still shone brightly, and the people of Coruscant went about their lives. 

But Grand Admiral Thrawn was not here to celebrate today. Today he was here for an audience with the emperor. 

Stepping down the ramp of his personal shuttle, Thrawn came face to face with the person he was intending on talking to. 

“Grand Admiral, I trust you have news for me.” The emperor croaked, his black cloak billowing in the wind. 

“Indeed my emperor, I have news for you.” Thrawn replied, falling to a knee in respect of the emperor. 

Beneath his hood, Sidious smirked at the loyalty of the Chiss Admiral. 

“Rise my friend. Walk with me.”

At that, the emperor turned and walked back towards the palace, intending on heading towards his throne room. From his position, Thrawn rose and followed him, a pair of imperial guards on his tail, ever watching the emperor’s back. 

“Tell me Thrawn, were you successful in driving the rebels out of the Atollon system?”

“I was your Excellency, however some rebels did escape.” Thrawn replied truthfully. 

Sidious snarled slightly, anger coursing through him. 

“I see. And how did that happen Grand Admiral?”

“Ahsoka Tano intervened, accompanied by a Zabrak.” During his brief talk with Tano, Thrawn had taken note of the mysterious red and black Zabrak that was seated next to her. It was him that was flying the Mandalorian vessel during the battle. 

Sidious and Thrawn walked in silence for several minutes, before the emperor spoke. 

“So it would seem that Ahsoka Tano has allied herself with my former apprentice. Interesting.”

Thrawn wasn’t sure what the emperor was on about. The last he checked Vader had been his apprentice. 

“Grand Admiral, we must redouble our efforts if we are to capture Tano and the rebel leadership. However, I will shortly require your assistance in another project, so please be available when I call.”

Thrawn nodded respectfully, still not fully understanding the situation. 

“Of course my emperor, you will is mine.”

The two approached the large double doors to the emperor’s throne room, once again flanked by a pair of guards. 

The large ornamental doors opened slowly, creaking as they did. 

“Ahsoka Tano is a dangerous adversary Thrawn. Do not underestimate her.”

“I will not my lord.”

The emperor stopped in the doorway, turning to Thrawn, his golden eyes meeting Thrawn’s red ones. 

“See that you don’t Grand Admiral, it will take much to incapacitate the Togruta.”

Another voice, one not belonging to Thrawn or the emperor, nor one of the guards, interrupted. 

“Been there, done that.”

Both Sidious and Thrawn spun in an instant towards the origin of the voice. 

Seated in the emperor’s throne was a grey figure, dressed in armour, and wore a perplexing helmet. His voice was modulated, yet cocky and full of confidence. 

Besides Thrawn, the emperor stiffened in anger. The Chiss Grand Admiral could tell that whoever this was was not on the emperor’s list of friends or allies. 

Thrawn reached for his blaster, ready to defend himself and his emperor. 

“You?!” Sidious snarled with disgust and hatred, his hand slowly reaching out as if to choke the figure. 

Thrawn took another detailed look at him. His attire matched those worn by the imperial Inquisitors, but they had all been wiped out at Malachor… hadn’t they?

The figure rose from the throne in an instant, his hands coming up, palms face forwards in a gesture of peace. 

“Please, forgive the unannounced intrusion Lord Sidious…” The figure spoke.

Darth Sidious’ hands retracted slightly, as if listening to whatever the figure had to say. Thrawn merely stood beside him, blaster in hand in case. 

The grey figure reached behind him, pulling something from a pouch on his armour. 

Bringing his hand forward, the figure opened up his fingers to reveal a small pyramid shaped object, glowing luminously in a deep red. 

“… but I have come bearing a peace offering!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eighth Brother... what have you done?!  
> Why did you do that, of all the things?!
> 
> So once again another story draws to a close. I do hope you all enjoyed this one.  
> Thanks to everyone who has read and commented on this story. It's nice to know you are enjoying it so far.   
> The fourth and final story of this AU series is still being written as of right now, and it will be a while before I start uploading. It's shaping up to be longer than the past three stories combined.   
> Speaking of the sequel, here is a small title teaser:
> 
> "When an opportunity to destroy the imperial leadership presents itself, Ahsoka Tano must disobey orders and assemble a team for what is sure to be a suicide mission. Only one thing is certain... not everyone will survive!"  
> The story will conclude in: "To Take Down an Emperor"
> 
> So yeah, once again thanks for the continued support, and I hope you will join me for the next story.   
> Till then.   
> SirLoozElite

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to comment. I hope you enjoyed this so far,


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